For Love and Friendship
by Pieces of the Moon
Summary: Nothing could get in the way of Seth and Jessica's first date...well, except maybe an unexpected murder! (Sequel to "For Love and Money" although that story is not required reading)
1. Chapter 1

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MURDER SHE WROTE

FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 1

Usually Jessica didn't mind her monthly visits to Loretta's Beauty Parlor. Besides getting a nice trim and blow-out from Loretta, it was a time for her to catch up with some of her dearest of friends, to share recipes or talk about the latest idle gossip.

Except this time it was different.

The time, unfortunately, the conversation centered around her new love relationship with Seth.

As Jessica sat in the styling chair while Loretta did her comb-out, all her friends seemed to be talking at once.

"Well, all I can say," Eve Simpson said excitedly, as she sat at the manicurist section, having her nails done, "is from day one when I first saw Jessica and Seth together, I knew there was instant chemistry!"

Phyllis Grant popped up the huge dome dryer from her head, "Admit it, Eve, you see chemistry in _every_ man!"

Eve looked up, offended, "And what is THAT supposed to mean, Phyllis?"

"Oh, I think you know!" Phyllis gave a playful wink to Jessica.

"Pay Phyllis no mind, Eve," Loretta told her, as she continued to fix Jessica's hair, "so, Jessica, go on with what you were saying about Seth..."

But Jessica had not been able to get a word in edgewise all morning. Jessica gazed at Loretta through the viewing mirror.

"Actually, I hadn't said much of anyth-"

She was interrupted by Ideal Malloy.

"If you ask me, I just think it's absolutely _wonderful_ that you and Seth are finally together!" Ideal swooned as she sat under the dryer, next to Phyllis, "Of course, what I _don't_ understand is how _we_ as your clos _est_ of friends, are the _last_ people to know!"

"Last to know what?" asked a confused Beverly, who was Seth's receptionist. She was the third person sitting at the row of pink dryers.

Eve looked beyond frustrated, "That Jessica was the last to know that short people are the last to know when it rains!" she stated sarcastically, "For heaven's sake, Beverly, keep up with us, please! We were discussing that we, as Jessica's dear, dear friends, were the last to be told that Jessica and Seth are an item!"

"Oh, you know how Jessica is," Phyllis added, talking as if Jessica wasn't even there," She's always kept things close to the vest! It's like pulling teeth to get her to say anything about herself!"

Jessica looked puzzled, "But...isn't that usually a good thing?"

"Are you serious?" Eve looked offended, "You keeping secrets from friends, such as _ourselves_ , is almost like lying to us!"

"I agree," verified Beverly, nodding knowingly, " _and_ it's downright unAmerican, too!"

"Well, I _certainly_ wouldn't want to do that!" Jessica said sardonically.

"So then give us the lowdown on you and Seth!" Ideal insisted, "For instance, what romantic place did he take you to on your first date?"

Jessica tried again, "Actually, our relationship is so new and we've been so busy that we haven't even had _time_ to -"

"-Doc favors that Seafood restaurant at Bar Harbor," Beverly, interjected as her face scrunched up, "Oh dear me. What was the name of that restaurant that he liked so much? Starts with a 'G'. Now what was it? I make reservations over there for him from time to time. The name's slipped my mind!"

"Galyn's!" Phyllis snapped her fingers, "He LOVES the lobsters there!"

"He does at that!" concurred Eve, "I remember one time I had a huge birthday bash over there for one of my major clients who, by the way, thought I was _just_ the best real estate agent EVER!...Anyway, Seth was really raving about their food AND ambiance! And, if you don't mind me saying, it's rare that we hear an outright compliment from him!"

"Eve!" reprimanded Loretta, as she turned and pointed her comb at her as she berated her, "You shouldn't be saying any kind of negative things about Doc Hazlitt in front of Jessica here!"

"Oh, that's quite true, isn't it?" Eve said, as her way of an apology.

"I bet you two took a stroll on the wharf afterwards," Ideal added, looking dreamily Jessica's way.

Jessica answered, "No, we didn't-"

"Oh, the Doc _does_ love his strolls," Beverly verified for them, "he says it's good for his constitution! And he especially enjoys walks where he can get a whiff of fresh ocean air at the same time!"

The women all nodded knowingly in unison.

"So during your romantic stroll," Phyllis asked, with a grin, "I bet there was a little lovey-dove hand-holding thrown in?"

Jessica would give it one more try.

"No, Phyllis, there was no romantic stroll," she said slowly and patiently, "and Ladies, I never said we went to Bar Harbor! And we definitely didn't do any lovey-dove hand holding while taking in whiffs of ocean air over there!"

"Well, why not, Hun?" Ideal asked, "I've always thought of you as the outdoorsy type!"

"Me, too!" piped in Beverly.

"Everyone!" Eve announced to the ladies, as if she were the only perceptive one,"You Ladies are not getting what Jessica is trying to put down! So let _me_ be the one to explain it all for you!" she exclaimed decisively, "It's pretty obvious to _me_ that Seth and Jessica did NOT go to Galyn's on their first date because what they did..."the last part she stated suggestively," didn't _require_ being at a restaurant or outdoors at ALL _,_ _if you get my drift..."_

"Ohhhhhhhhh," all the ladies said in unison, as if now they understood everything.

And then they were all in a titter; giggling and nodding and winking at Jessica.

"Oh, Ugh!" Jessica threw her eyes up at the ceiling in complete exasperation, "for goodness sake!"

#

(An hour later)

Seth was looking questionably at Jessica from across his office desk. Originally, they had planned to have lunch at the local diner. Instead, Jessica had decided to drop by the local deli and brought back two sandwiches, chips and two cookies. Seth had provided two cold glasses of milk. The items were now scattered on his office desk.

"So tell me again WHY we had to have lunch in my office today and WHY we had to keep the door shut?" he asked her.

"Seems we are the talk of the town, Seth!" Jessica was obviously frustrated, "You know how those ladies are, down at Loretta's! They wanted to know all the details of what is happening between us! It just got to be too much!"

"Talk of the town, you say?"

Seth leaned back in his chair, a smile played on his lips.

Jessica was surprised by Seth's reaction.

"Seth! You actually look _happy_ about the news!" she commented.

He stared at her intently for awhile until she found herself getting warm beneath her skin. His chair creaked as he now leaned forward over his desk so he was closer to her.

"Of course I'm happy about it, Woman!" he stated as he reached out and playfully touched her nose, "I'm ecstatic! I LOVE the idea of you and me together and if a bunch o' nosy Cabot Cove folks are talkin' about you and me, I'm gonna be at the front of _that_ line, to make sure that gossip turns to fact permanently!"

How did Seth always know the right thing to say to put her in a good mood?

And the way he was looking at her with such affection made Jessica's heart melt.

"Oh, Seth," she sighed happily.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Their simple lunch was interrupted by the knocking heard outside Seth's office door.

Seth gave a frustrated sigh.

"People are gonna have to start organizin' their sicknesses!" he told her as he then turned his head towards the door.

"Unless your sickness requires the use of a scalpel," he yelled out, "leave your name 'n number at the desk and I'll have Beverly call you for an appointment!"

Instead, the door slightly opened and Mort poked his head in.

"Sorry, I'm calling on official business," Mort explained, "I'm not disturbing you two, am I?"

"Oh noooo, not at all!" Seth said in a sarcastic tone, "we've been waitin' all afternoon for you, Sheriff! Now our lives are complete!"

"Come in, Mort, we were just having lunch," Jessica countered by openly invited him in, "we have extra drinks here, too. And there's also an extra cookie or an apple, if you like."

"I prefer you take the apple!" Seth loudly suggested.

"No, thanks," Mort stepped in and respectfully removed his hat, "Again, I didn't mean to disrupt you lunch, Doc, Mrs. F., but there's been a death."

That certainly changed the mood in the room.

Seth and Jessica exchanged surprised looks.

"A death?" Seth asked, looking none too happy, "and don't tell me. You're here because you want me to examine the body?!"

"That won't be necessary, Doc."

Seth and Jessica looked even more confused, especially when Mort didn't elaborate.

"Was it a homicide, Mort?" she asked.

"Actually, the answer to _both_ those questions is a resounding 'no'," Mort gave them an enigmatic look, "however, you two might want to come with me..."

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As Jessica and Seth sat in his office eating lunch, Mort had interrupted them. He was there on official business.

"So when and where was this body discovered?" Jessica asked.

"About an hour ago over at Bar Harbor," said Mort.

"Bar Harbor?" she repeated, "That's not even your jurisdiction, Mort."

"Normally, I might say yes," Mort said hesitantly, "but this circumstance is different."

Both Jessica and Seth looked puzzled. They didn't understand Mort's reluctance to further his explanation.

"And?" Seth sounded impatient to Mort, "Out with it, Man! What in the Sam Hill does a dead body have to do with US?"

"It actually has to do with you, Doc," Mort's expression turned glum as he specifically spoke to Seth, "The thing is...you know this person very well..."

 _The deceased, Bert Bradley was a former Police Captain for Bar Harbor. Seth and the Police Captain had been long time friends and even worked a few cases together when Seth had worked at the county hospital over at Bar Harbor._

 _Forty-some decades earlier, Seth had forged lasting friendships with five men from his college fraternity, including the deceased, Bert Bradley. They had kept in touch throughout the years and once a month gathered together at Judge Lachlin McIntosh's home during the football season for some male bonding._

 _However, in the last few years, the number of men had dwindled, due to illnesses or death. Now with Bert Bradleys's death, only Seth and a very ill Judge McIntosh were the sole survivors from that fellowship._

Seth looked shocked upon hearing the news.

"Bert? Gone?" Seth asked in disbelief as he shook his head as tears formed in his eyes.

Jessica held onto his hand as she compassionately stated, "I'm so sorry, Seth."

"I can't believe he's... dead... " his voice sounded hollow and filled with grief. He managed to life his head, "How did it happen, Sheriff?"

"Beth, his daughter, was the one who told me ," Mort said gently, as he stood and sadly twirled his hat in his hands "She and Bert had just come back from a vacation in Mexico, almost a month earlier. A week later, he had complained to his daughter about not feeling well. They weren't worried at first, especially since he had been given the appropriate vaccinations before leaving. But still, Beth took him to the emergency room. The diagnosis was that Bert was probably suffering from a common vacation ailment known as 'travelers' diarrhea '."

"I see," Seth thought about it, "so what you're saying is that he was diagnosed as having gastroenteritis!"

"Yeah, that sounds like the term they used to describe that condition," Mort told him, "anyway, he was sent home and his symptoms seemed to be responding well to a few days of rest. Then one morning, according to his daughter, Bert felt well enough to take a walk. He grabbed his hat and jacket, but didn't come back at the expected time. Sometime later his daughter received a frantic call from a neighbor, who found Bert collapsed on the sidewalk, half a block from his home."

"And?" Seth asked.

"He passed away a week later," Mort said.

Seth choked out the question, "Do they know the cause of death?"

"They did some blood work and it indicated that he contracted dengue fever, most likely from his vacation down south," Mort looked saddened.

"Dengue fever?" Jessica questioned, "I've read about that for one of my books. If I recall correctly, it's a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an mosquito, isn't it?"

"Ayuh, an Aedes mosquito, to be exact," Seth responded, now in deep thought, "but that doesn't make any sense! While contracting the disease can be uncomfortable and even painful, Bert was in good health, so I doubt it would be enough to kill him!"

"You're right, it wasn't," Mort agreed, "although he had been admitted to the hospital for the fever, he died of cardiac arrest a week later. The doctors claimed the fever had weakened his body considerably."

Seth bowed his head down in sorrow.

Another good friend had unexpectedly passed away.

And as the years go by, it would happen more frequently.

"Seth?" Jessica looked concernedly at him, "Are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything, an aspirin, a glass of water or anything else?"

"No, I'm fine," he assured her, with a slight smile, appreciation showing in his eyes, "just stay here and be a comfort to me, Jess. That'll be enough."

She lightly patted his hand and gave a reassuring smile.

"Of course, I will," she promised him, "and Mort is here for you, too."

Seth didn't respond, as his shoulders slouched, sadness etched on his face.

Jessica looked anxious, "Seth? Please tell us what's going on in your mind."

Seth slowly shook his head, still finding it difficult to accept that another dear friend had passed away.

"I'm thinkin' about somethin' Bert once told me," he stated mournfully, "he told me, _Life is a beautiful lie, but death is a painful truth."_

#

The Wake was held in a small chapel on the outskirts of Bar Harbor.

Jessica had insisted on coming to the funeral with Seth to lend some moral support. Seth's eyes were stained with tears as Jessica held onto his arm as they walked inside the church. There were only a smattering of mourners sitting or standing around, with very little conversation going around.

They spotted Mort up in the front of the church. He was standing next to the opened coffin, his head down as if in prayer. Turns out, he had also been acquainted with the deceased police captain. Seth had invited Mort to many of the football games held at Judge McIntosh's home, where he would see Bert there, too.

Seth looked around to see who was at the viewing.

 _"I guess the old Judge didn't make it to the Wake,"_ Seth said to Jessica in a low voice regarding his other old friend, _"Ever since he was diagnosed with cancer, he's refused to see anyone."_

Jessica nodded, _"Mort mentioned Judge McIntosh is bedridden now._ "

 _"He is?"_ Seth looked even more unhappy with this latest piece of news, _"I-I didn't know. Perhaps I should have been more insistent on visitin' him!"_

 _"Now Seth, don't start feeling guilty about that, too,"_ Jess whispered, " _It was his decision not to see his friends!"_

They proceeded up the aisle. On the way to the casket, Seth saw Beth Bradley, the only daughter of the deceased.

She sat in one of the straight-backed chairs in the front row. Beth looked thin and frail. Seth said a few words of condolences to her before proceeding up to the casket.

Mort was already at the casket and nodded at Jessica and Seth.

"Doc, Mrs. F.," Mort said solemnly as they returned the greeting.

Jessica was standing in the middle between Mort and Seth. Mort leaned over to whisper something to Jessica.

 _"How's the Doc been taking Bert's death?"_ he asked.

" _He's been quiet and subdued_ ," Jessica remarked, softly, " _which, as you know is not like him at all, and frankly, Mort, I'm concerned."_

 _"I wouldn't worry so much Mrs. F; the Doc is strong,"_ Mort encourage, " _besides, he has you."_

She turned and watched Seth's reaction to viewing his dead friend laid out in the coffin. At first Seth's expression was somber as he viewed the body from head to toe. Then he did something unusual and unexpected. Seth leaned further into the coffin, his eyes focused on the grasped hands of the stiffened body.

Mort looked alarmed at Seth's behavior and leaned Jessica's way, _"Mrs. F! What's the Doc doing?"_

Jessica was as confused as him, " _I have no idea, Mort!"_

A few people, especially in the front rows, began to notice, too. They began pointing and curiously whispering towards Seth's bent back. Jessica wasn't sure what to do. It would be awkward to pull Seth away, as his gaze continued to be intense and searching as he hovered over the coffin.

Jessica's hand was still clutched onto Seth's arm. So she was taken by surprise when she abruptly felt his entire body shaking uncontrollably as he stiffly pulled back, his eyebrows knitted together in deep contemplation as he slowly turned her way.

" _My god, Jess_ ," he whispered to her, his eyes wide with astonishment.

 _"Seth, what is it? What's wrong?"_ a concerned Jessica asked, as she watched him now staring straight ahead.

Then to the amazement of Jessica, Mort and all the mourners in the church, Seth announced in a strong and conclusive voice:

"BERT. WAS. MURDERED!"

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"BERT. WAS. MURDERED!"

Seth's announcement was a shock to the mourners in the church. Everyone began talking at once.

Mort, who was standing close by, quickly shuttled Seth and Jessica over to the church's private office, away from the confused mourners.

"Doc, Mind telling me what made you shout out an announcement like that?" Mort asked testily, once the three of them were alone.

"I was thinkin' that people should know the truth!" Seth insisted, "A dear friend of mine was brutally murdered and no one want to step up and admit it!"

"But the records stated that he died of cardiac arrest!" Mort argued.

"It wasn't written in stone!" Seth stated indignantly.

Mort argued, "Yeah but according to the coroner-"

But before Mort could continue, the door burst opened.

WHAM!

A tall man with curly brown hair strode in. Jessica recognized him as one of the people attending the Wake and he did not look happy.

"Uncle Seth, what just happened out there?!" the man demanded to know, "that was quite a commotion you stirred out there...and I don't mean that in a good way! What has gotten into you?"

"What's more important, is what happened to your manners, Logan? " Seth brusquely told him, "Don't you know you shouldn't just come _bargin' i_ nto a room without at least a greetin' of some sort? I do believe introductions are in order!"

"Really?" the tall man didn't look apologetic, "You yell out craziness to a roomful of people and **I'm** the unreasonable one?"

"For once, I agree with the Doc," Mort said, "so let me be the one to make the introductions. Logan, this is Jessica Fletcher. Jessica, this is Detective Logan McIntosh, the Judge's son."

Even in uncomfortable situations, Jessica was always polite as she stuck out her hand.

"Please to meet you, Logan, despite the sad circumstances" she greeted, as they shook, "and please, call me Jessica."

He lifted an eyebrow, "Jessica Fletcher? You aren't the mystery writer, J.B. Fletcher from Cabot Cove, are you?"

She lightly laughed, "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid!"

He didn't look impressed, "I've read a few of your books. Not bad. You're good at keeping the storyline moving, but, overall, I find the main mystery in your book rather pedestrian. I can usually figure out the murderer in the first 20 pages, which is why I haven't read most of your books."

"Oh, well, I appreciate your giving my books a try, at least," Jessica stated with a flair of sarcasm, "perhaps you'll find my _next_ book more intriguing."

"I certainly hope so," Logan said, taking the comment seriously, "but, then, I've always been good at deductive thinking. That's what makes me a great detective."

" _It also didn't hurt that his father, the judge, has_ _quite_ _a pull with the selection committee_ ," Mort mumbled under his breath to Jessica.

"What?" Logan asked.

"Nothing," Mort stated innocently.

Logan shrugged it off. With introductions out of the way, he turned his attention to Seth.

"So why would you yell out there that Uncle Bert had been murdered?" he questioned, "Our coroner already stated that he died of cardiac arrest!"

"The coroner may be correct in his findin's," Seth concurred, "but that doesn't mean Bert WASN'T murdered! With cardiac arrest, quite a few things can make the heart stop, and one of those things could be poison!"

Mort, Jessica and Logan looked at Seth with complete surprise.

"Poison?" Logan questioned.

"Ayuh," Seth said.

Mort interjected, "You wouldn't HAPPEN to know what type of poison it was, would you, Doc?"

"I believe Bert Bradley died from some type of heavy metal poisoning," Seth stated with certainty, "Bert was probably given an accumulation of metals in toxic amounts. My guess is either arsenic or thallium. I'm not sure which, since I never got to examine the body."

Although the detective looked unconvinced, he pulled out a little black notebook and began jotting down a few words. Then he looked over at Seth, "How did you conclude Uncle Bert was poisoned when the coroner didn't rule it as such?"

"Because I noticed the leukonychia striata lines on his nails!" Seth stated impatiently, as if it were obvious.

"What?" Logan looked confused.

"I think what Seth is trying to say," Jessica explained, being that she had previously done research, "is that he noticed Mr. Bradley had a condition known as Mees' lines'. They are the white bumpy ridges that run across the fingernails and are a clear indication of some type of heavy-metal poisoning."

Mort looked impressed at Seth, "You noticed all that simply by looking at his fingernails, Doc?"

"Stood out like a sore thumb, if you excuse the pun!" Seth exclaimed, "I've seen enough of Bert's hands when he was reachin' for a beer or pretzels during TV football season, and they had looked perfectly normal and healthy! But when I saw his hands in the coffin, the nails showed milky white ridges. They were there in the pink portions of his nail as well as on his lunules."

Logan again was unclear, "the lunules?"

Surprisingly it was Mort who gave the definition, "That's the white half-moons on the bottom of the nails." When Seth and Jessica seemed surprised with Mort's knowledge, he further explained, "before I could give Adele a manicure, she insisted I learn and understand the parts of the fingernails!"

"I don't even want to know..." Seth deadpanned as Jessica hid a grin.

"So Uncle Seth," Logan was taking Seth's theory more seriously now, "anything else you can tell me about this supposed poisoning?"

"Well, from the position and intensity of the lines, I'd say Bert was exposed to a heavy dose of the poison a couple of weeks before his death," Seth speculated.

"The timeline fits," Mort said, "two weeks ago was about when Bert was found on the sidewalk by a neighbor."

"So it was the initial dose that caused his collapse," Jessica theorized.

"Ayuh," Seth agreed, " _but_ there may have been additional doses given afterwards!"

"Wait a sec," Logan was thinking carefully, "if you're saying that Uncle Bert was given the first dose during that walk, _then_ when he was in the hospital for dengue fever, was he also given the other poisonous doses there?"

"Not during the hospital stay, Logan," Seth corrected, "Dengue fever is a virus. There's no treatment except to wait it out, so he probably didn't stay long in the hospital. The other doses were probably given while he rested at home."

"Okay, whatever!" Logan said, frustrated "but my point is, the doctors had originally checked him out at the hospital. Wouldn't they have realized he had been poisoned? How could they have missed that?"

"Unfortunately," Jessica explained, "this heavy metal type of poison wouldn't show up in a standard blood test. Plus the doctors already knew what was wrong with him; supposedly he had dengue fever. There would be no need to do other types of testing."

Logan scribbled some more, "Okay...got it," he told everyone as he snapped his black notebook shut, "I think I may be investigating a homicide here. I'll probably need to call it in."

"I could assist you in the investigation, if you'd like," Mort volunteered.

Logan gave him an arrogant look, "This is my jurisdiction, Mort. My case, and I can handle it. I'm going to go out there at the front of the church and insist that daughter Beth delay the service. Then I will inform everyone that I have reached the conclusion that Bert Bradley has been murdered. Your help will not be required."

 _"Of course you would be the hero,"_ Mort murmured under his breath.

#

Later, Seth had been invited over Jessica's for a quick meal of her clam chowder soup, homemade sourdough bread and shrimp salad.

"Detective Logan McIntosh is certainly an interesting character," Jessica commented diplomatically, as she took a sip of her soup.

"The man's a pill," Seth bluntly told her, "he's more self-absorbed than a sponge!"

Jessica laughed.

Seth looked happy whenever Jessica appeared happy. He reached over and grasped her hand.

"Ah, Jess, I do have to apologize," he said, sadly wistful.

Jessica looked surprised, "Why, whatever for, Seth?"

"For ignoring you," Seth mentioned, "Here I am, in love with the most wonderful gal in the universe, and I haven't even taken her out on our first date yet!"

"There'll be time enough for that," she promised, "but right now, we have a murder to solve!"

 _Uh-oh._

"We?" Seth repeated, not sure he liked where this conversation was heading, "were you in the same room as me when _Detective_ Logan McIntosh mentioned that _he's_ handling Bert's murder?"

"Oh, Pffft," Jessica brushed that thought away, "since when do we let a self-absorbed sponge work on a murder case of a dear friend?"

Seth broke out in a grin, thanking the heavens once again that he had Jessica by his side.

His life will never be dull again.

"Ayuh! Since when, _indeed!"_

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 _Please review_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Leaving his office in the afternoon, Seth was on the way to the store to pick up a few items before joining Jessica for dinner tonight. He was looking forward to it. From behind him, he heard two women voices beckoning him.

"Yoo hooooo, Seth!"

"Wait up, Doctor Hazlitt!"

Seth momentarily closed his eyes in frustration. Jessica had already warned him about run-ins with the town gossip makers.

Eve Simpson and Phyllis Grant immediately flanked him on each side.

Of course, Eve was the first to speak out.

"Doc Seth," she was saying, "a fine day to bump into you! We haven't seen much of you since...you know..."

She nodded knowingly to which Seth gave her a blank stare.

"I assure you, Eve, I DON'T know!"

"Oh, come on, Doc," Phyllis said excitedly, from his other side, "it's no secret that you and Jessica have been..."

"...hanging out together _, shall we say,_ " Eve finished in a naughty- sounding tone.

Seth responded, "I believe we've been doing that for years!"

"Oh of course," agreed Eve, now sounded overly sweet, "but _now_ , I would've thought you would have wanted to shout out to the world that you have captured Jessica's heart! She IS after all, _quite_ a catch!"

"So is striped bass!" Seth remarked.

"Oh, Doc!" giggled Phyllis, "okay, we understand if you want to remain tight-lipped about _certain_ things, but at least tell us what kind of plans you two lovebirds have cooked up for tonight!"

Seth stopped walking, causing the two ladies to also halt their steps.

"Alright, I suppose I can do that," he told them, which had the ladies exchanging gleeful looks, "tonight, I plan to share a delicious meal over at Jessica's, which will include her superb broiled lobster and fresh corn on the cob..."

"Oh!" gushed Phyllis, "it sounds divine!"

"And if you add candles, it'll be quite romantic!" added Eve excitedly.

"Ayuh," Seth acknowledged, "and as we dine over our scrumptious meal..."

Eve leaned in knowingly, "Yesssss?"

"I plan..." Seth continued, "to discuss bodily fluids!"

There was a gasp from one woman and two shocked looks.

"Excuse me?" Phyllis blinked quickly.

"Did you say...bodily fluids?" Eve was actually starting to look ill.

"Indeed I did, Ladies," Seth smiled, "and now, I really MUST get my errands done, so I hope you two have a most pleasant day!"

He gave them a gallant bow and as he walked away, a smile peeked out from his face that they did not see.

#

The lobster dinner had turned out perfectly. Seth and Jessica had mainly laughed throughout the dinner, especially when Seth related the story of bumping into Eve and Phyllis. Both of them had cleared off the table and now they had coffee and a piece of fresh apple pie in front of them.

"Bodily fluids!" Jessica said with a chuckle, "I can't believe you said that in front of those two women!"

"That's the great thing about bein' a doctor!" Seth noted, "we can say whatever we dang well please regardin' the human body and get away with it!"

"Oh you!" Jessica lightly berated him.

"It's true you know...about me wantin' to discuss bodily fluids," Seth looked serious, "'cuz this mornin' I did an autopsy on my dear friend, Bert, may he rest in peace."

"Seth!" Jessica was saddened, "was it necessary for _you_ to be the one who performed it?"

"It was if I wanted accurate results as quickly as possible," Seth glumly stated.

"So what did you find out?" Jessica asked him.

Seth heaved a big sigh, "despite the embalming fluids and all other postmortem indignities, I was able to isolate enough tissue and blood samples to determine that Bert had indeed been poisoned!"

Jessica's mouth dropped as her eyes widened, "Dear me! And what kind of poison was it?"

"It turned out to be thallium," Seth told her, "in my day, thallium had commonly been used in rat poisons and ant killers. However, it is no longer used for that due to its toxicity. Despite that, thallium is still fairly easy to get, if you know where to look."

Jessica shook her head, "How many doses did Bert take of the poison?"

"I can't rightly say," Seth told her, "but the initial dose had been large, probably given shortly before Bert went out on that walk. And then, I assume, other doses had been administered at later times."

"And the poison probably weakened the poor man's heart, so that his heart could not have survived a cardiac arrest," Jessica stated.

"Ayuh," concurred Seth, "no one could blame the hospital staff for the misdiagnosis since Bert's symptoms had been similar to having dengue fever; nausea, seizures, headaches and severe joint pain."

"And the killer knew that," Jessica supposed, "he or she was probably aware that Bert had recently come back from vacation in a foreign country and hoped his death would be blamed on an exotic ailment," she then looked with admiration at Seth, "and the killer would have succeeded, if it weren't for you."

"Well, I'm just glad it was discovered before he was committed to the ground!" Seth stated modestly.

"Did you pass on this information to Detective McIntosh?" Jessica asked.

"You mean Detective Pill?" Seth sardonically asked, "no, I plan to visit him tomorrow to let him know."

"Oh, I'd like to also come with you!" Jessica announced.

"I hope it's not due to his _sparkling_ personality," Seth noted, "because he has none. Unless he eats diamonds for breakfast!"

Jessica lightly smiled.

"No, not to see the detective," she explained, "I thought you might have time to take me to Bert's house afterwards. You said Beth, his daughter, is staying his house for now, right?"

"Ayuh, at least until Bert's financial matters are cleared up. Are you thinkin' that the high dose of poison had been administered in the house?"

"We won't know until we check it out," Jessica said.

"There goes that _'we'_ nonsense again!" Seth grumbled.

"It'll be a short visit, I promise," Jessica next got up and started to clear the dessert dishes, but Seth immediately got up, too.

"Here, let me get that," he volunteered, as he took away the dishes that were in her hand "you've worked so hard on the dinner, the least I could do is wash the dishes!"

"Oh, I'll hear none of that!" she told him.

But he was already at the sink and had begun rinsing the dishes. When Jessica tried to get to the sink, he would shift his body over to block her way. She'd go the other way, and he would slide that way.

"Seth!" she berated him, "this is MY house and I am going to help wash the dishes!"

"Stubborn woman!" he complained, as he gave her some space.

She went to that spot but Seth was tricky and went for the same place.

"Ow!" Jessica complained.

Seth looked concerned.

"Ahh, Jessie, did my big dinosaur foot smash yours? I'm sorry."

"No," she admitted, "I just wanted some attention."

They were now facing one another.

A sweet heavy ache filled Seth's heart. His gaze flickered over her, causing prickles of hot and cold to run up and down her body. He brought his hand up to lightly caress her cheek.

"Jessica," there was yearning in his voice when he spoke her name, "I've missed you."

Jessica's heart was beating so fast, it made her dizzy.

"Oh, Seth," she berated him, "you see me every day!"

Her cheeks were flushed.

"Ayuh, but I've been so wrapped up in this murder case that I haven't appreciated you like I should," he admitted, "however just know, Woman, that you are always in my thoughts! And have I told you recently that I love you?"

"No, not lately," she almost whispered, "but you can show me."

He smiled, "Gladly."

Seth intuitively reached over as Jessica's heart quickened.

At first his lips were gentle. He used only his lips, not touching her anywhere else on her body, for the intension was to merely sample a taste of hers. But sensations quickly flared inside of him when their lips touched and he kissed it full and hard.

Jessica seemed to wilt from the immediate heat as her pulse raced. She knew she was not a young girl who had never been kissed before, but with Seth it felt like that; and included in that came yearnings, madness and desires, all rolled up into one.

When they separated, they were staring at each other in searing wonderment.

"I'd like to continue this magical night," Seth spoke, his voice sounding a bit rough, "but I'm afraid I won't be able to stop. And Jess, for you, for _us_ , I want to court you the old-fashioned way. It won't be easy to wait, but I know it will be worth it," he looked intently in her eyes,"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Jessica nodded.

"I do, Seth," she almost whispered, "everything makes sense when I'm with you."

Seth's heart melted and he reached out to wrap her in his arms. She could feel his heart beating rapidly as one of his hands traversed her back, up and down. A tremor passed through her body and she closed her eyes to feel Seth's love for her.

"I do love you, Jess," he spoke with conviction.

Still in the embrace so it seemed as though she was talking to his chest, "Do you want to know how I feel?" she asked.

He held onto her, wishing to never let her go, "Go on, my dearest, I'm listenin'."

"I feel," she said, her head still leaning on his chest, "that you should wash while I rinse and dry."

She felt Seth's chest shaking as he chuckled.

They separated, and he smiled at her joyfully.

"My dear, sweet Jess," he declared, the words sounding warm and welcoming.

Jessica smiled back at him.

"I love you, too, Seth."

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Seth and Jessica went to the Sheriff's office, they immediately spotted Mort and Andy sitting at their respective desks. Each was deeply involve on their typewriters, tediously typing, using the 'hunt and peck' method.

"Arrrghhhh!"

Mort gave a frustrated grunt as he ripped the sheet of paper out of the typewriter and stared at it in disgust.

Jessica stepped up to him, with Seth close behind.

"Good day, Sheriff," Jessica smiled.

Mort immediately looked up, "Oh, hey, Mrs. F, Doc," he greeted.

" _Somebody_ doesn't look happy today," Seth mentioned.

"Oh, I'm just on happiness-saving-mode," Mort jested. Then he added, "actually, I'm frustrated. Not much has been happening in Cabot Cove these last few days, so I'm forcing myself to type up these required reports and having a heck of a time trying to make them sound official!"

"Why is it so difficult, Sheriff?" Jessica asked with a tilt of her head.

"Get a load of this," Mort said, reading outloud the paper he had in his hand, " _Sarah Brimsley on Hummingbird Lane called in a theft at her residence. She complained that someone must have stolen her mail last Friday. This was due to the fact that she had not received birthday cards from some of her friends."_

Mort gave Seth and Jessica a _give-me-a-break_ look.

Mort continued, "And it only gets worse. Here's my next report: _."Sheriff's office received an anonymous call that reported crazed duck were seen running around Joshua Peabody Park at 10:32 am on Tuesday. Sheriff responded and searched area, only to find relaxed ducks."_

Seth made a noise that sounded between a guffaw and a snicker.

"My experience is that ducks are audaciously mellow," he straight-faced while Jessica grinned.

From across the way on his typewriter, Andy added to the conversation.

"You think those are bad, Sheriff?" he questioned, "How about the car incidents _**I** _ had to type up?"

Andy grabbed the top sheet from his pile and read, _When Deputy Andy Broom questioned Laura Penn as to how the car accident happened, Ms. Penn informed the deputy that_ _someone had switched her car's engine with an identical engine that did not work. So far in the investigation, there are no leads."_

Both Seth and Jessica chuckled.

"I wouldn't complain so much, Andy," Mort whined, "at least you don't have to deal with Mrs. Tremblay like I did this morning."

"Not again," groaned Andy, "what problem did she complain about _this_ time?"

"She called to report that she spotted a kitten outside her house," Mort explained, putting air quotes around the last two words, "that was _acting suspicious._ "

Jessica laughed.

"Oh my," she said, shaking her head, "I guess it's true what they say about nothing much happens in a small town!"

"The way I see a small town," Seth grumbled, "is that in case you don't know what you're doin', someone else in town _does_ , and is more than happy to tell you what it is!"

Mort smiled, "Speaking of such, how are you two doing? Gone on your first date yet?"

Seth and Jessica exchanged embarrassed glances.

" _Et tu_ , Mort?" Seth asked.

"Hey, it seems that you and Mrs. F's dating life is the only thing people here are talking about these last few days," Mort shrugged, "that and the suspicious kitty, that is!"

"Actually, Mort, we've hadn't had much chance for a social life lately," Jessica admitted.

"Oh, I understand," Mort acknowledged, "I suppose you're referring to Bert Bradley's death."

"You mean his _murder_!" Seth corrected, as he dropped the results of Bert Bradley's autopsy on Mort's desk.

Mort leaned over, gave a quick glance, and saw what the file was about.

"The autopsy results? Why are you giving me this?" he asked, "Shouldn't you be handing it to the investigating officer, Detective McIntosh?"

"Yes, I should... if I wanted the investigation to get screwed up!" Seth claimed, "but I want to do right by my friend! He deserves justice!"

Mort shook his head, "I don't know what I can do about it, Doc."

"If you could just come with us to Bert's house," suggested Jessica, "it would make it look official when we talk with Bert's daughter, Beth. Perhaps she might be more forthcoming."

"Jess also wants to ascertain whether or not the poison had been administered there or was it somewhere else," Seth further explained.

Mort still looked unsure, "You do understand that my being there would not make it official business, right? Bert lived and retired in Bar Harbor, and the murder took place there, too. It's not in my jurisdiction, and therefore, not my case."

"Well, it's none of mine and Jess's business, either," Seth added, "but we want to know the truth! After all, Mort, do you _really_ want to trust Logan, along with his smugness, to solve the murder for us?"

Mort gave a heavy sigh.

"I suppose, you're right," he decided.

Andy interjected, "or, Sheriff, you can always stay here and deal with..." he pulled the next report, "...Bob Henley, who discovered patio furniture on top of his car..."

Mort stood and placed his hat on his head.

"I'm ready; let's head out!" he announced quickly, "Meanwhile Andy, you can hold down the fort here."

"I will, Sheriff," Andy promised, "you never know when I might come across nefarious puppies!"

#

Bert Bradley's house was like every other well-to-do Bar Harbor home. It looked much like the houses in Cabot Cove, based on the simple Colonial American architecture, which blended into its natural surroundings. Painted a lovely dove gray, his residence consisted of a long porch, balconies and large windows, which evoked a charming yet solitude lifestyle.

Mort walked up the pathway ahead of Seth and Jessica. It was here that Seth grabbed Jessica's hand as they strolled up the walk.

Ahhh, the uniqueness of love in its early stages! Jessica thought. She felt a secret thrill as they lovingly exchanged glances. There was something so real about her hand being enveloped around his; some kind of complex simplicity to it. It was saying so much by doing so little and she loved it.

Of course, Mort didn't see it that way.

"Could you two hurry it up a bit?" he asked, "I'm beginning to feel like the third wheel!"

"Why don't you think of yourself as a majestic unicycle instead then!" Seth suggested, not hurrying his pace in the slightest as Jessica felt him lovingly squeeze her hand.

Mort shook his head as he knocked on the door.

#

Although she was from Boston, Beth Bradley had been staying at the family home. Mort had explained earlier that after the interrupted funeral, she was taken directly to the hospital and given blood and urine tests for heavy metals but there was not a trace. She would only be staying at Bert's home until his finances had been settled, being that she was a paralegal for a firm that deals with criminal law in New York City.

She did not look happy when she opened the door to Jessica, Seth and Mort.

"Yes? What do you want?" she asked blandly.

Mort removed his hat.

Seth followed suit by removing his driving cap as well.

"Good day, Ms. Bradley," Mort greeted, "I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this, but as you know, we suspect that your father had been poisoned and we now hope we can discover where this tragedy has occurred. And of course, this would then lead us to a suspect."

She did not look welcoming.

"You're too late," she tiredly told them, "Forensics have already been here."

Beth was ready to close the door until Jessica stepped forward.

"Please, Ms. Bradley," she pleaded, "I can understand that you must be tired of people traipsing all over your father's residence. But perhaps with a different outlook we might be able to find something the experts couldn't."

Seth added, "...and if anyone could find a clue in a haystack, it'll be J.B. Fletcher!"

"J. B. Fletcher?" Beth opened the door slightly wider as she got a good look at Jessica, "You're the writer, aren't you?"

"I am," Jessica acknowledged without embellishment.

A little smile broke out from Beth and she sounded more welcoming.

"I applaud your talent at solving mysteries, Mrs. Fletcher," she told Jessica. Then looking at Seth, she added, "and with your expertise, Uncle Seth, you were the one who revealed my father had been murdered," and finally she gave a nod to Mort, "and Mort, I know you will make sure nothing in this house will be disturbed."

"I will," he promised.

She opened the door all the way to allow them in.

The three of them gave their thanks and walked in. The house had obviously not changed much since her father had died. There was evidence of Bert Bradley having lived there, from the pipe next to his comfy chair, to his jacket and hat still hanging on the rack next to the door.

It wasn't too long before they heard footsteps coming towards them from the kitchen and a not so pleasant voice booming out over at them.

"WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE?" Detective Logan McIntosh demanded to know.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Beth, the daughter of the victim, allowed Jessica, Seth and Mort inside the house, but they were not alone. The pompous Detective Logan McIntosh was also there, and he did not look pleased to see them. Meanwhile, after taking the Sheriff and Seth's hats, Beth had left for another part of the house.

"There's no need be rude, Logan!" Seth lectured him, "It's fine by me if you don't want my autopsy results!"

"I doubt that's the reason you're here," Logan eyed Seth suspiciously, "You did not even know I was here!"

"So maybe we're also here to take a look around a bit," Mort told him, "so sue us."

"It'll be a waste of time for the three of you," Detective McIntosh told them, "Our experts had already done all the work. Forensic was here earlier searching, vacuuming and sample-taking. And not that any of you deserve to know, but they came up with nothing. You would've thought that if such a high dose of poison had been administered in the house, there should be some small trace-perhaps in the kitchen or medicine cabinet. But like I said, there was nothing."

"I'm sure they were very thorough, Detective," Jessica stated diplomatically, "but you'd be surprise what could be missed. The deadly poison could be as fine as dust, making it difficult to detect."

Logan sighed.

"The Bar Harbor Police Department isn't a small hick-town sheriff's office," he haughtily said, "we have the latest in technology. Believe me, there wasn't a trace of poison _anywhere!_ "

Mort stepped up to the detective, "Who are you implying is running 'a small hick-town sheriff's office', Logan?" he challenged.

Logan shrugged, "I call it as I see it, Sheriff."

"Oh yeah?" Mort taunted him, "Wellllll...all I can say is...the game is SO on, _Detective_!"

"Detective McIntosh," Jessica cut in, wanting to get back to the investigation, "actually the poison could have been cleverly disguised so that even your high tech people could not spot it. For instance, it could be individually wrapped and placed back to look like a stick of gum or even a cough drop."

Detective McIntosh peered over at Jessica with disdain.

"Mrs. Fletcher, just because you got lucky with those dime store paperbacks mysteries, that doesn't make you an expert on a murder investigation! My people are very thorough, I assure you!"

"Oh,of course," Jessica stated politely, knowing she was being given the brush off.

Beth suddenly reappeared with both Mort and Seth's hats, signaling it was time for them to go.

"I hope the detective answered all your questions," she coolly told them as she handed the hats back to them.

Neither put their hats on their heads.

"Actually, Beth," Mort said, "there are a few questions we'd like to ask _you_."

#

Their interrogation of Beth didn't lead anywhere, except they learned that father Bert Bradley was a widower and had no other heirs. Not that it mattered; Bert had very little money in the bank.

Later, Mort drove Seth and Jessica back home. They had stopped by Cabot Cove's quaint coffee shop to discuss the investigation over coffee and pie.

"The only thing I got out of this visit today," Seth grumpily told them, "was that I was correct in my assumption that Logan McIntosh is a pill!" He then took a bite of his pie.

"Actually, we also learned that we are going to continue on with this investigation," Mort said with determination before taking a sip of his coffee.

"We?" Jessica questioned, "so you want to continue on this case?"

"Well, I certainly don't plan to let a _pill_ like McIntosh get the best of me!" Mort claimed.

"Good to hear you're on board, Mort," said a pleased Seth.

"By the way," Jessica stated, after she had tasted the pie, "did either of you find it strange that Detective McIntosh was in the house with Beth when we arrived? The forensic people had already done a clean sweep of the place in the morning. Why would he linger? Do you think there's something going on between those two?"

"Hmm..." Seth considered, "Good point, Jess. You know, I've never given any thought to that since those two have known each other forever! But when you think of it, they are both single, and in a way, they'd be perfect for each other bein' that they seem to have an annoying, pessimistic demeanor!" he paused, "not that **_I_** would know anything about that!"

"No comment about that, Doc," Mort said, "but as to the idea that the detective and Beth could be an item, I'll have Andy ask around a bit. It may have some bearing on the murder."

"Well, if they were involved in Bert's killin', it wasn't for his money," Seth noted, "the house we visited this mornin' was his _only_ valuable possession!"

"Then we have to think of another motive," Jessica reasoned and then suggested, "maybe it had to do with one of his old cases..."

Mort did look hopeful, "You know how many cases Bert must have headed up as Police Captain? There's no way we would be able to narrow it down without additional information."

"Then we'll approach it from a different angle," Jessica thought out loud, "How about we explore the method he was killed. For instance, the poison and how it was obtained. Is there any chance Bert could have somehow been given the poison by injection?"

"I doubt it," Seth stated, "I did a thorough examination of the body and I could not locate any injection sites. I'm fairly certain the poison had been ingested."

"And unfortunately, so much time has passed," Mort said glumly, "there's a good possibility that we'll NEVER find the source."

Seth and Jessica looked just as defeated, as Mort began to stand.

"And on that disappointing note," he declared, "I think I best get back to the office to work on this case. And I also can relieve Andy, in case there are urgent calls such as butter that needs churning!"

Mort reached into his pocket for some money for the bill.

"Don't worry about it," Seth told him, "my treat."

"Hey, thanks, Doc," Mort said, touching the front of his hat, "but it doesn't get you off from paying those late parking fines!"

"Hmmmph!" grunted Seth as Jessica smiled over this familiar routine. "Sheriff, just wait until you get your next physical examination bill!"

"I'm not too worried," Mort shot back, "I've read somewhere that 8 out of 10 medical bills contain errors or fraudulent charges!"

#

Now that Mort was gone, Seth waited until the waitress filled their coffee cups and left. His pulse raced as he gave Jessica a winning smile.

"I'm glad it's just the two of now, Jess. I feel like we haven't had any time alone together," he stated, his eyes so clear and bright.

Jessica looked shyly down. He had a way of making her blush softly while at the same time, making her heart beat faster. She then looked directly in his eyes.

"We'll have time enough for that, later, Seth" She stated, "I know you are determined to solve your friend's murder."

"But not at the expense of _you_ ," he said as he reached over and held her hand, "So that's why I was thinkin' Jess..."

She swallowed, "Yes?"

Jessica watched as he took a deep breath in.

Whatever it was, it was going to be a long explanation.

"As you know, I'm not one to mingle at a country club setting,' he told her, "but being a doctor, it's a way to network with my colleagues. I've been avoidin' the yearly dinner and dance ceremony just 'cuz I never had reason to go... until now...so, Jess," he cleared his throat, "uh, I'd liked to escort you to the event with me," he gently lifted her hand and caress the back of her hand with a light kiss, "would you kindly consider bein' my date for the annual country club dinner and dance night in Bar Harbor tomorrow night? We could wine, dine and dance the night away under a blanket of twinklin' stars!"

The invitation was totally unexpected. Although the event sounded a bit too public for how Jessica wanted to spend a first date with Seth, she knew she would, nevertheless, have a lovely time.

"I would absolutely love to, Seth," she accepted.

#

Jessica definitely had sweet dreams that night. Images of a tuxedo-clad Seth twirling her about, her ball gown sparkling as she danced feather-light on the dance floor.

 _R-r-ing!_

The harsh ring of the phone burst through her wondrous dream and she tried to ignore it as she made her imaginary last whirl, ending in Seth's opened arms. Then he-

 _R-r-ing!_

This time the ring sounded louder and even more annoying.

The dream was instantly gone. With a moan, she reached over and put the receiver next to her ear.

"Hel _lo_?" she groggily answered.

"Mrs. F? It's Mort."

His voice sounded shaky.

Jessica instantly became wide awake.

It's NEVER good news when the Sheriff of Cabot Cove calls in the middle of the night.

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jessica glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was past 11:30 at night and Mort was calling. She knew it was something she would dread.

"Mort, what is it?"

"I'm coming over to take you to the county hospital," he informed her.

Jessica didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Oh? And why would it be necessary for me to go to the county hospital?

There was a slight pause from Mort, as if he were debating how to tell her the news.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Mrs. F., but something has happened to the Doc."

#

As Mort drove Jessica to the hospital, he told her everything he knew about the situation, according to the paramedics.

Evidently, Seth had just come in from making a late house call visit, due to the Mayor's mother being very ill in bed. After hanging up his hat and jacket, he proceeded to brew some decaf coffee for himself when he started shaking and feeling nauseous. At first Seth thought it was just a chill, but when he vomited, he knew it was best to call the ambulance.

Jessica momentarily closed her eyes with worry over Seth. She privately wondered if Seth could have also been poisoned or was it a mere coincidence.

"Any chance you can drive any faster, Mort?" she anxiously asked him.

"Any faster and I would have to give _myself_ a ticket!" Mort said sarcastically. He instantly regretted his comment when he saw how upset Jessica looked.

"You're right," he agreed, "I should rush it; after all, this _is_ an emergency."

He flipped a switch.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...

Bright lights and sirens were suddenly activated as he sped up his car.

"Thank you, Mort," she responded gratefully.

"Don't mention it," Mort stated, "just know that we'll be at the Doc's side in a few minutes."

#

Jessica didn't know what to expect when she rushed into the hospital room in the middle of the night. She assume she would see Seth laid out prone on the bed, with a deathly pallor on his face.

However, the first thing she noticed was how regular Seth appeared, as he sat up on the adjusted bed. The second thing she noticed was how feisty and cranky he could be so late in the night as he argued with the nurse who was tending to him.

"What do you mean I have to stay here for at least two days!" Seth stubbornly folded his arms, "I told you I feel fine and I should know! I'm a doctor!"

"Now, just calm yourself down, Doctor Hazlitt! You of all people should know it takes time to find out what's wrong," Nurse Ruth calmly responded, not taking Seth's bad mood personally, "And judging by your coloring and tremors alone, our hospital doctor think it's something more than just indigestion!"

"Oh, for the love of Pete!" Seth stated impatiently, but then when he turn his head, he saw Jessica standing by the door and instantly his expression softened, "Jess, dear Jess! Good to see you!"

And for the first time that night, he looked happy.

"Seth! Are you alright?" Jessica asked as she stepped up, looking concernedly at him.

"Ayuh, I'm alright" he responded, "but I'm losin' my patience havin' to stay here! I just think the hospital needs to fill an empty bed!"

"Oh Seth," she lightly berated him, "they just want to know the cause of your ailment! You should be glad they're so thorough! No need to give them such a hard time!"

"I'm tellin' you, Jess, what I have is just a combination of high stress and bad indigestion... there's no need for all this fuss!" Seth complained, "I've now learned my lesson about not havin' a second slice of pie at Millies! But they're tellin' me that they gotta run tests that could take up to two days!"

"And is that really so bad for you to take some much needed rest?" Jessica reasoned, "if I'm correct in my calculations, Seth, you haven't had any time off for a year and a half!"

"Well, I don't want to take time off from work against my will, Jess! Especially since all I have is a little stomach flu!"

"I think you should stay here until Dr. Henderson gives you his stamp of approval for you to leave here," Jessica stated it gently but firmly, "we need to cure whatever ails you!"

"But Jess, "Seth gave her a defeated look, "if I stay in _here_ for two days, we won't be able to attend the country club dance together!"

So _that's_ why Seth was so impatient!

"Did I hear you right, Doc?" Mort questioned, "THAT'S why you don't want to stay here?"

"Oh, yes, I had _heard_ about your first date!" Nurse Ruth declared, "Lilly Wilson, the one handling the ticket sales for the dance, had earlier mentioned to me that you had purchased tickets for yourself and Mrs. Fletcher!

Seth looked annoyed, "Is there anyone who DOESN'T know my personal business? Did you remember to record the news of _my dance date_ into my medical chart? I'm not sure Dr. Henderson knows yet!"

"You should be glad I'm on top of things, Doctor Hazlitt," Nurse Ruth pointed out, "because being in the hospital will allow you to get a FULL refund on the dance tickets!"

" _Really now_?" Seth sarcastically asked, "Because with the way my luck is goin', the refund will probably bump me up to the next tax bracket!"

"Seth, you're staying here and that's that," decided Jessica, "normally, I wouldn't be so adamant, but with Bert Bradley having been poisoned, I'm thinking that there could be a chance that you could have been poisoned as well. You seem to display the same symptoms."

"Nonsense!" he gruffed, "I mean, sure the symptoms are similar...but...uh...I've also got some sniffles, and...and sniffles have NEVER been an indication of someone bein' poisoned!"

Jessica didn't say a word but just quietly put her hand over his. He looked down at their enjoined hands and then over at her and his body relaxed. She smiled down at him.

"Are you done with your ranting yet?" she patiently asked.

He looked down at their hands and his expression looked guilty.

"I...guess so," he murmured, "although there might be some aftershocks."

"Well, now that the patient has shown signs of common sense," Nurse Ruth commented, "I think I'm going to go finish my rounds and deal with some people who actually _appreciate_ it when I try and help them!"

Mort asked the nurse, "Do you think you can run some test to see if the Doc here had ingested some poison?"

"Poison?" Nurse Ruth questioned, her hands on her hips, "You think that's what's wrong the grumpy Doctor?"

"Grumpy?!" Seth sounded indignant until Jessica squeezed his hand.

"I think it would be wise to test for poisoning," she concurred, "especially for thallium."

"I'll see what I can do," Nurse Ruth promised before departing.

#

"Well, now, " Mort said, when the nurse was gone, "since the Doc seems alright for now, I'll be out in the waiting room so that the two of you can have some alone time together..."

 _"...and don't forget to bring me a bullhorn_ ," Seth said to Mort sarcastically, "so I can announce my future plans with Jess to the entire world!"

"Sethhh!" Jessica lightly slapped him. She then turned to the sheriff.

"Actually, Mort, it's not necessary to wait for me," suggested Jessica, "I can call for a taxi when I'm ready to leave. It's late and I'm sure Adele would prefer you at home right now."

"I know _I_ would be happier!" Seth piped in.

"Don't ever change, Doc," Mort straight-faced, "except your personality."

Mort then turned to Jessica.

"And don't worry, Mrs. F.," he assured her, "I'll let you know the minute the lab gets the Doc's results back."

"Thanks, Mort, I'd appreciate that."

Jessica watched as Mort got ready to leave. He placed his sheriff's hat back on his head, giving it one quick tap on top to keep it secure on his head. He was set to go.

Suddenly, Jessica's eyes widened as her mouth momentarily dropped.

"THAT'S _IT!_ " she exclaimed.

"What? What's _it_?" Mort asked, puzzled.

"Uh-oh," Seth warned, "I know that look. Our Jess is onto something!"

"I know how Bert Bradley was poisoned!" she announced, her eyes bright, " _And_ if I'm right, Seth was poisoned _exactly_ the same way!"

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 _Please revew_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jessica had just informed Seth and Mort at the hospital that she knew how Seth had been poisoned.

"Go on, Mrs. F," Mort encouraged.

"No, first we must get a rush order on the tests for Seth," she insisted, "we need to know if he had really been poisoned. Then they can take the appropriate measures."

Mort nodded, "I'll get right on it!"

#

The blood tests for poisons didn't take long for they now knew what they were looking for. The results were what they expected; there was a dose of thallium found in Seth's system. The next step was that Nurse Ruth efficiently rushed to the drug dispensary where the hospital kept a poison control cupboard and retrieved an airtight canister of Prussian blue, the antidote to the poison.

Seth was administered four of the blue-hued pills and it was only when they took effect that the nurse left. By now it was almost 2 am so everyone was pretty exhausted.

"Come on Mrs. F," Mort said, "I'll take you home so the Doc could get some rest."

"No, wait!" Seth stated abruptly as he turned to look at Jessica, "Jess, you had stated that you knew how I'd been poisoned. I won't sleep well until you tell me."

"That's _right,_ " Mort realized, "in all the chaos of de-poisoning the Doc, we never _did_ hear your theory, Mrs. F! How do you figure the Doc and Bert Bradley were poisoned?"

Jessica explained, "Actually, the method didn't occur to me until I saw you, Sheriff, place your hat on your head."

"And?" Seth asked impatiently, "Not to be grumpy, Jess, but I've already been pricked and drugged to the high heavens, and it's about to be lights out for me soon, so do you think you can more it along a little faster?"

"The poison was in the hats!" she bluntly announced.

"What?" Seth looked incredulous.

"The hats?" Mort asked, confused.

"Yes!" she wholeheartedly responded, "The killer must have used the thallium poison in _powder form_ and then applied it to the inside of Bert and Seth's hats in order to poison them!"

"You mean," Seth looked skeptical, "I was actually wearing the poison _on my head_ and didn't know it?"

"It's a brilliant plan, actually," Jessica commented, "using that method, the poison could slowly kill the individual and the killer wouldn't even need to be nearby the intended victim when the poison took effect!"

"Would that really worked?" Mort wondered, "I mean, putting the poison in a hat?"

Seth considered it, "Medically, yes. Once the hat was placed on the head of the target, the powder would then be released and can be either inhaled or absorbed into the skin."

"And here's the _really_ clever part," added Jessica, "when the victim showers and washes his hair, all the remaining evidence would literally go down the drain!"

Seth looked puzzled, "but why would the killer want to poison _me_?"

Mort stated sardonically, "Is that a trick question, Doc?"

"I wished I knew the _trick_ to make you disappear!" Doc gave him a scornful look.

"Speaking of which," Mort turned to Jessica, "So, Mrs. F., now that the Doc will be sleeping, you ready to go?"

"Yes, I am," she said.

Seth touched her arm, "Actually I'd like you to stay, Jess, if you don't mind."

Jessica looked unsure.

"But Seth, it's early morning, and after all that you've been through, you must be exhausted!" she stated, "You don't need company; what you need is some good sleep!"

"What I _need_ is some love and comfort, Woman!" he exclaimed.

That comment made her smile.

"Alright, I'll stay, but just for a little while," she promised. She then turned to Mort, "Go home to Adele, Mort and I'll talk with you tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Mort acknowledged, "And I'll also make sure to have Andy tail Beth a bit to see if something is going on between her and Logan McIntosh."

"Speakin' of the illustrious detective," Seth declared, "you think we should discuss with Logan our theory regarding the method of poisoning?"

"Hey, we already gave him the autopsy results for Bert," Mort had a mischievous smile on his face, "I'd say we already did our due diligence!"

Seth broke into a big smile, "I do believe you're right, Sheriff!"

Jessica looked from one man to the next.

"Did I hear correctly?" she playfully asked, "you both plan to withhold information from the lead detective on the case?"

"Sounds about right," Seth said.

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Mort commented.

Jessica berated them, "Despite Detective McIntosh being a bit...difficult...you know we should give him _any_ information that might help him solve the case. And this includes telling him about how Seth had been poisoned!"

"We will, Mrs. F., believe me," Mort promised with a mischievous wink, "alllll in due time!"

Then he bid them good night (or actually morning), and he was gone.

#

Seth and Jessica were alone. At last.

Scooting a chair over, Jessica sat next to Seth. She smiled as she held onto his hand. Their familiarity was comforting yet thrilling.

What Jessica always loved about Seth was how strong yet how caring he could be at the same time. And though his body was weak at this moment, he was looking at her with an intensity that made her feel breathless all of sudden.

They small talked for some time.

"Oh Jess, how I wished we could have gone to the dance at the country club for our first date!" he was telling her, "I know you would have been the belle of the ball!"

He reached out and she felt his thumb touching her cheek lightly and that small gesture caused her to become weak with excitement and desire.

"There will be other times, Seth," she promised.

*YAWN!*

Seth unexpectedly opened his mouth for a big yawn.

"Oh Seth, you _are_ tired!" tsked Jessica.

"It's that dang medication that's wearing me out, is all!" he insisted.

"Still," Jessica told him, "according to the doctor, it'll take at least a day before the poison will be completely out of your system."

"Doctors!" Seth whined, "Most of 'em are _quacks_!"

Jessica smiled and then stood up and lowered his bed for him. Next She pulled the covers higher on him and gave him a short kiss on the lips.

He looked lost and distressed at the thought she was leaving.

"You're not leavin' NOW are you, Jess?"

She sat back down and gave him a comforting look as she patted his hand.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep."

Now satisfied, he closed his eyes and with a smile on his lips, he quickly fell asleep.

#

The next day Mort and Jessica had arrive late morning back at the hospital. Seth had already been given his medication. The room looked different this morning for there were several bouquet of flowers throughout the room.

"How are you feeling, Seth?" Jessica asked.

"Impatient!" Seth said, "I don't know what it is I want, but whatever it is, I want it NOW!"

"At least you're popular," Mort observed, as he viewed all the arrangements around the room, "since yesterday, this place has become a bustling flower shop!"

"Caught me by surprise, too!" Seth acknowledged, "I've had people visitin' me ALL this hours this mornin'!"

"Uh, I don't think attending doctors and nurses count as _visitors_ , Doc," Mort jested as Seth scowled.

"Well, I definitely know of ONE visitor who isn't highly welcomed in my room!" Seth commented, looking directly at Mort.

"Oh yeah?" Mort countered, "welllll... it just so happens that I bought some rhubarb earlier and had left them in the squad car. I could always bring them up, all wrapped up pretty in a nice pink bow...what do you think about that, Doc? You think you'd like a fresh 'bouquet' of rhubarb from me?"

There was no chance for a response, for the hospital door abruptly opened.

And in strolled Detective Logan McIntosh, carrying an envelope in his hand.

"I can't believe I was the last to know about Uncle Seth being here!" he immediately complained.

No one seemed happy at his presence while Seth murmured sarcastically under his breath.

" _And JUST when I THOUGHT my day had started out right!"_

 _._

 _._

 _Please review_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Everyone exchanged greetings with Detective Logan McIntosh, who was visiting Seth in his hospital room.

"When I dropped by your office earlier, Uncle Seth," Logan began, "I heard you were here, so here I am. Your assistant told me you had been poisoned?"

"That's what they tell me," Seth responded.

"Well, you look good now. How are you feeling?"

"Like a truck ran over me," Seth stated honestly, "and how is your father doing?" he asked politely.

Logan McIntosh's father was Judge McIntosh, now under hospice care in his own home.

"Hanging in there, but barely," Logan informed him, "I'm staying at his house to care for him, and he's as stubborn and ornery as ever, but, sadly, it's just a matter of time for him."

"Sorry to hear that," Seth commiserated, "I'll come by the house as soon as they let me out of here."

"He would like that," Logan said as he next turned to Mort and Jessica, "My father used to tell me so many funny antics that he and Uncle Seth used to do in college. I remembered one time he emptied bottles of vodka from Uncle Seth's parents' mini bar and refilled it with water! Then he and Uncle Seth got really plastered with the good stuff!"

He lightly chuckled as he imagined the scene.

Seth smiled, "Yeah, my head still pounds when I think about the hangover I had the next day!"

Although Jessica could not say she enjoyed Logan's company, there were times he could be almost likable; like now, when he was being friendly with Seth.

"Oh, before I forget, Uncle Seth," Logan reached in and produced a sealed business envelope, "This envelope had been on top of your desk in your office, so I thought I'd bring it over to you."

Seth furrowed his brow, "that envelope was on _my_ desk?"

"Yes," Logan answered as he held out the large envelope to Seth.

It had Seth's name written on the front in block writing with capital letters.

An anonymous letter is not a good thing to receive when the recipient's life had already been threatened.

Mort and Jessica exchanged alarmed looks.

"Drop that on the bed!" Mort abruptly ordered Logan, which Logan instantly did, looking a bit shell shocked.

Mort next reached into his pocket and put on some plastic gloves so he could handle the envelope. He looked disappointingly at Logan.

"What were you thinking, Logan?" Mort berated him, "You're a detective! The minute you saw something suspicious like this unidentified envelope, you should have bagged it with tweezers!"

Logan looked surprised, "I just thought it was another get well card!"

"A get well card in a business-sized envelope?" Mort questioned, "That would be highly unlikely!"

"Open it Mort, but be careful," Jessica warned him.

With gloves on, Mort ripped one side of the envelope open, and then carefully pulled out a single sheet of paper out. He unfolded it and scowled as he read its contents.

"What does it say?" Seth demanded to know.

Clearing his throat, Mort read aloud:

 _"Five years earlier, you and Police Captain Bradley ruined my life. Now I will ruin you."_

There was complete silence for a time as everyone stared at one another.

"Hmmmm, let's see that..." Jessica stated as Mort tilted it for her to see, "this note...seems to imply that the motive for the poisonings was that the killer wanted revenge for some case Seth and then Police Captain Bert Bradley had worked on five years earlier."

"So Doc, think carefully,how many cases had you and Bert worked on five years ago?" Mort asked.

"Being that we worked in different towns, I rarely worked with Bert when he was Police Captain," Seth recalled, "to my recollections, we only came in professional contact twice."

Jessica nodded, "That certainly narrows down the possible list of suspects a bit!"

"Or not," Logan piped in, "If you really think about it...it doesn't necessarily have to be a case that occurred five years ago,"

"What makes you say that?" Mort asked, not convinced.

Logan obviously liked being in the spotlight,"Maybe the case could have occurred, let's say ... _eight_ years ago and it's just that the killer had postponed mentioning it for three years."

Mort couldn't believe the ridiculous remark the detective just made, "Really?"

"I'm just giving you an alternative theory," Logan said, "that's what _real_ detectives do."

Jessica tried to be polite, "But why would the killer want to postpone revenge?"

"Maybe it took him three years to plan it out," Logan theorized, "or maybe he was sick and out of commission. How am I supposed to know? I'm just saying it's a possibility."

Mort and Seth stared at Logan as if they couldn't believe he was a detective.

#

It looked like Seth would have to stay at least another day in the hospital. Dr. Henderson was still concerned about the possibility of heart damage and had connected Seth up to a cardiac monitor. Of course he was not taking the news well, but Jessica was helpful in soothing his frustrations. At last he was released in Jessica's care and Mort helped to bring Seth back home.

Seth was finally tucked into his own bed upstairs. It was determined that his nurse assistant, Beverly, would be helping with meals and anything else he may need.

Jessica had fluffing up three pillows so that Seth would be able sit up and watch TV or read.

"This is ridiculous!" Seth complained to Jessica about his situation of having help, "It's not like I'm an old man invalid! Old man, maybe! But not invalid!"

"Seth, you should be grateful for Beverly's help," Jessica pointedly said, "anyone else would appreciate being waited on hand and foot!"

"But she can't cook!" Seth exclaimed, "and if there's one thing I can't live without is-"

"Goooood afternoon, Doc Seth! Mrs. Fletcher!"

Beverly came flying into the room, a bed tray in her hand.

"And look what I have for YOU, Doc!" she stated enthusiastically, "A peanut butter sandwich with a piping hot bowl of canned vegetable soup!"

Proudly placing it down in front of the Doc, she quickly unfolded the napkin and stuffed one of the triangular edges down Seth's pajama top, to act as a bib.

Seth gave Jessica a look that could easily be interpreted as _"Help me!_ "

"Oh myyyyy, Beverly, aren't you nice to prepare this for Seth!" Jessica stated politely.

"Oh, wait until he sees what I have in store for him for dinner!" Beverly gushed, "I just learned how to make chipped beef using a can of beef vegetable soup and a microwave oven!"

Seth gave Jessica a second look.

"Uh, Beverly, perhaps that won't be necessary," Jessica said diplomatically, "I had already planned to make myself some meatloaf tonight and as you know, it's not possible to make meatloaf for just one person! So I naturally thought I'd just bring the leftovers for Seth, just so it'll save me the trouble of having to keep it in my refrigerator for days on end!"

"Oh!" Beverly looked uncertain, "Are you sure you want to do that, Jessica? Because it would be so easy for me to-"

"She's sure, she's SURE!" Seth stated emphatically.

"Uh, alright, you do that, Dear, " Beverly forced a smile, "and my duty is done here, so I guess I'll be leaving for today... unless you need something else from me, Doc..."

"No, no, noooo," Seth shook his head.

Jessica lightly nudged him, signalling him to mind his manners and he spoke through clenched teeth, "and thank you for this uh, memorable lunch, Beverly!"

Jessica nodded approvingly.

"Glad you liked it, Doc Seth!" Beverly stated,"And remember, there are many, many more delish sandwiches to come!"

"Oh goody," Seth straight-faced.

Beverly looked pleased as she walked out.

#

Jessica stayed as Seth ate his lunch. She noticed his color was still sallow and he looked rather frail. Of course he WAS just recovering from being poisoned.

Jessica put the food tray off to the side when he finished and helped to fluff his pillows.

"No need for you to stay, Jess," he told her, "I'm actually feelin' a mite beat! Figured I'd nap at bit."

She tried not to put on a worried face.

"Of course," she said with an understanding tone,"you really do need your rest and besides, I have lots of stuff to do myself!"

Seth wasn't fooled.

"I'm assumin' 'stuff' is a substitute word for 'investigatin'!"

She didn't deny it as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"You know me so well, don't you?" she lightly asked.

"Ayuh, and if you knew _me,"_ Seth pointed out, "you'd know I'd prefer gettin' a kiss somewhere else!"

Jessica looked at him lovingly.

" _That_ could definitely be arranged, Seth Hazlitt!"

Jessica's words made his heart jump as she leaned in, her soft lips caressed lovingly into his.

Seth felt intoxicated by her lips, by everything about her and was disappointed when the kiss ended. He didn't want her to leave, but he really was exhausted.

His voice sounded huskier than usual, "I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too, Seth, and I'll be back as soon as I finish my 'stuff'!"

.

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 _Please review_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Five years ago, Seth and murdered friend Police Captain Bert Bradley had worked together on two cases. And now according to the anonymous note sent to Seth, the killer from one of those two cases is seeking revenge.

It was the next day and when Jessica had arrived at the Sheriff's office, Detective Logan McIntosh was also present, a file in his hand.

"Here's the file for Lars Draken, although it hasn't been updated, " Logan told them, "It was the first murder investigation that Uncle Seth and Uncle Bert had corroborated on. Their testimonies had sent Lars to life imprisonment."

"Really?" Jessica said, as she put on her thick black glasses and began reading a summary of the case from five years ago:

 _Lars Draken and his wife, Yvette, had lived in a tiny house in a poorer section of Tremont, on the outskirts of Bar Harbor. Neighbors describe their marriage as volatile._

 _According to what Lars told the police, on the night of the murder, at approximately 2am, Lars had heard some noise downstairs and went to investigate. In the living room, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow, but before he could react, he was knocked unconscious with a heavy metal object. Later he woke to find his wife, Yvette, dead on the floor in their upstairs bedroom and he immediately contacted the police._

 _Police arrived and noted Draken with a nasty bruise on the left side of his head._

 _Yvette Draken was also discovered, bludgeoned to death in her bed._ _Despite a thorough search of their home, a weapon has yet to be recovered._

 _Dr. Seth Hazlitt of Cabot Cove, Maine, performed an autopsy on Yvette. Metallic traces were found in one of Yvette's gaping wounds indicating she may have been struck with a steel instrument, possibly a crowbar._ _He also reported traces of Lars' DNA underneath her fingernails._

 _Police Captain Bert Bradley headed up the investigation and after questioning husband, Lars admitted they had a physical altercation that night. Lars was eventually arrested for the murder of his wife._

 _During the courtroom testimony, Lars_ _testified that both he and his wife had fought and made up that same night. They went to bed at 11pm and slept soundly until the noise interruption downstairs. But Dr. Hazlitt later contradicted that testimony when he asserted in court that according to the contents of her stomach, Yvette had eaten a good-sized snack sometime between 1 and 2 am._

 _Thus Lars Draken had perjured himself in court._

 _In conclusion, the circumstantial evidence of Lars' DNA found on victim, his perjured statement, the lack of other people's fingerprints, and finally, the previous evidence of Yvette contacting the police regarding spousal abuse, was enough to convict Lars of murdering his wife._

 _Postscript: As Lars Draken was led away from the courtroom in shackles, he swore that the DA, police captain, and medical examiner had all conspired against him and one day they would pay dearly for this betrayal._

 _._

After reading the quick summary, Jessica next retrieved two pictures that were loose in the file. They were pictures of Lars Draken after his arrest; both of them showed a picture of a man with cruel eyes and a mean disposition.

One picture was taken on the day that he was arrested, standing in the lineup room. The other picture was a full body shot of him taken last month at the correctional facility. Life in prison had changed him, for he had gained at least 50 pounds and he was bald.

"Lars claims to this day that he loved his wife too much to have murdered her," Logan told them, "Uncle Bert had believed it. He noted in the file that Lars Draken wore his wedding ring throughout the trial."

Mort looked doubtful, "That doesn't prove anything. Lars could have worn the ring in an effort to gain the jury's sympathy."

"Shows you how much you know," Logan looked superior, "I just questioned Lars this morning in prison regarding this case. Of course, he's adamant that he's innocent. And you know what else? I noticed that he still had his wedding ring on. So I don't think this was a show; he truly loved his wife."

Meanwhile, Jessica stared at the two pictures in the file again and noted the same-looking gold band.

"I doubt that he's wearing the ring to show his love for his first wife," she concluded.

Logan scoffed, "And why _not_?" he practically demanded to know.

"If I'm not mistaken, " Jessica noted, "the ring Mr. Draken is wearing is for his _second_ wife."

.

Logan looked skeptical, but it only took a short call to his precinct to verify that what Jessica had stated was true, "Turns out Lars Draken _had_ remarry, but they never updated his file," he verified, as he hung up, an embarrassed look plastered on his face, "but...how...how did you figure out he had a second wife, Mrs. Fletcher?"

"It's common sense, really," Jessica sensibly said as she pointed to the two pictures in the file, "Mr. Draken had obviously gained at least 50 pounds during his five years in prison, and yet the ring on his left hand fits him perfectly in the _first_ picture as well as in the  second. The only conclusion I could draw from that is that Mr. Draken must be wearing a new ring."

"Well, I'll be..." Logan looked amazed.

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Mort stated, "He probably met his future bride in prison. We've all heard about these fan groups of lonely, lunatic women who exchange love letters with jailed prisoners."

"Still, I just never thought..." Logan shook his head incredulously.

"Logan, perhaps you can answer this question for me," Jessica changed the subject, "Is the new wife residing in Mr. Draken's old house?"

"I believe so." Logan stated,"why?"

"Would you mind if I have that address?" she asked, "I think we should pay her a visit."

Her request puzzled Logan, but from the file, he wrote the address for her.

"You'll be wasting your time," Logan stated, handing her the paper, "The new Mrs. Draken knows nothing about this old case. She wasn't even around five years ago."

"Perhaps," Jessica said, nonchalantly, "but it's the only clue we have for now."

#

Mort volunteered to drive Jessica over to Lars' residence.

"Do you think it'll actually do any good for us to talk to Lars' new wife?" Mort asked her, "Logan may be right. There's probably not much she can tell us."

"Actually, Mort, it's not _her_ I want to see," Jessica said, "the reason why I want to go there is I'd like to take a look at the house itself, since Mr. Draken used to share it with his previous wife, Yvette."

"Oh, oookay..." Mort responded, not quite getting it, "...but the murder occurred five years ago."

"I just have a feeling, call it women's intuition," Jessica stated, and then ended with a heavy sigh, which didn't escape Mort's notice.

"You okay, Mrs. F?"

"Why? Do I look ill, Mort?"

"Oh no...I didn't mean it like that," Mort claimed as he opened the door so they could exit the office, "you just seem... a little down. Does this have to do with the Doc?"

"I am worried, to be sure," Jessica admitted, absentmindedly, "after all, he was poi-"

Her eyes suddenly lit up at what she saw ahead. Following her eyes, Mort turned to see a very refreshed Seth, with arms folded, leaning against Mort's patrol car.

"Hmmmph!" Seth grunted, as they approached him, "it's about _time_ you two got here!"

"Seth!" Jessica fell into his opened arms with an affectionate hug, "It's so wonderful to see you up and about!"

"You're not the only one with 'stuff' to do, Woman!"

His smile was big, his eyes were twinkling.

"Doc! What are you doing here?" Mort asked, also pleased to see him, as he went around to the driver's side of the squad car.

"Gonna join you on your investigation!" Seth told him, "You don't think I'd let you two do it alone, would you?"

"One can only hope..." Mort jested as Seth eyed him closely.

"Just for _that_ comment, Mort," Seth pointedly said, as he opened the door on the passenger side, "I'm informin' you right now that _I'LL_ be ridin' shotgun!"

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 _Please review_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

So Lars Draken was a suspect in the poisoning death of Bert Bradley and the attempted murder of Seth. Five years ago Seth was the expert witness who testified against Draken, and his medical testimony helped convict Draken of killing his wife, although the murder weapon had never been found.

Mort had parked the patrol car in front of Lars' old house, now occupied by his new, _secon_ d wife. The three of them got out of car.

"I better warn you," Mort said, "with Seth accompanying us, I don't think Stacy Draken, the new wife, will be all that receptive with us."

"We'll just have to be very respectful to her," Jessica suggested.

"I don't think it helps with that sheriff's uniform you're wearing, either, Mort," Seth commented, "She probably won't take kindly to law officers."

"But being a law officer, I can inform you that you have the right to remain silent, Doc, so please exercise that right," Mort deadpanned back.

In direct contrast to the rest of the block, the Draken's home was overflowing with flowering plants everywhere. Hydrangea bushes greeted them as they walked up the pathway. There were beds of roses, azaleas, and lilies, while morning glory vines crept up all along the fences.

"Oh my," observed Jessica, "it's obvious this new Mrs. Draken is _quite_ a gardner!"

"It's colorful, alright," Seth agreed, "but, sadly, it reminded me of the flowers at Bert's wake!"

Now at the door, Mort knocked.

Stacy Draken opened it. She was a woman in her early 30's with nondescript brown hair. Rather plain looking and drab.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Draken," Mort spoke out, "I'm Sheriff Metzger from Cabot Cove and these are my friends, Jessica Fletcher and Dr. Seth Hazlitt. We'd like to talk with you for a few minutes, if you don't mind."

Stacy was focused on Seth.

" _Hazlitt,_ I recognize that name," she stated coolly.

Then instead of opening the door wider, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"This is about my husband, isn't it?"

Mort acknowledged, "We're looking into the death of Police Captain Bert Bradley. There is a possibility that he was murdered in connection with your husband's old case."

Stacy looked suspicious, "So I was right. You aren't here to help my Lars...Are you saying you think Lars might have killed this police captain, _too_?"

Jessica tried to be gentle, "We have to check all possibilities, Mrs. Draken. And to be truthful, your husband _had_ made a threat against the police captain after he was convicted."

"Wouldn't YOU be upset if you were wrongly convicted?" she asked, her eyes looking at Jessica with disdain.

This caused Seth to step forward, so that he was in between Jessica and Stacy.

"We aren't here to cause trouble," Seth stated diplomatically, "we just want to rule him out as a suspect."

"How could he have killed anyone, anyway?" Stacy's eyes flashed with anger at Seth, "Thanks to YOUR testimony, Doctor, he has an alibi; he's been in prison these past five years!"

"Killers sometimes have accomplices," Mort suggested.

Stacy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Now you're accusing ME of being a murderer?!"

During this exchange, Jessica's attention had waned and she walked away, looking about the front yard. Stacy stretched her neck to call Jessica back.

"Yoohoo, Lady!" she yelled at Jessica as she walked towards her and the two men followed, "Come back here! Where the hell you going?!"

Jessica gave Stacy her loveliest smile.

"I was just admiring your lovely garden, Mrs. Draken," she commented, "I putter around my own garden, but I could never get the flowers as bright and beautiful as the ones you display here! You are a natural gardener."

Stacy looked confused but relieved by the change in subject.

"Yeah, well...thanks, I guess. Gardening has always been a hobby of mine. I used to keep a little windowsill garden of geraniums when I lived in my tiny apartment, so I really enjoyed tending flowers in this big yard."

"You've done an excellent job!" Jessica complimented, "And how long have you been growing this enchanting garden here?"

Meanwhile Seth and Mort were looking at Jessica like she was crazy.

"Seven months," Stacy proudly announced, "I moved here a month before I got married. Lars wanted me to look after the house, while he was uh,... _away_."

"Oh, that was certainly a smart play on his part!" Jessica nodded approvingly.

She then wandered off again.

Again Stacy followed her, watching Jessica's movements carefully.

"Heyyyyy," she suddenly realized, "You're not admiring my flowers...you're _snooping_! I don't know _what_ you're looking for, Lady, but you're not going to find it here!"

Jessica momentarily stopped.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Draken, I didn't mean to upset you," she apologized, " and your garden truly IS quite lovely, but something tells me that there's more to the garden than what it appears...but...I just can't put my finger on it..."

She began walking again, as Stacy caught up with her.

"You have no right to traipse about my garden!" Stacy declared, "The three of you need to leave NOW!"

"Alright, if you insist," Jessica obliged pleasantly as Mort and Seth confusingly looked on.

She exited the pathway, with the others following close behind.

Jessica stopped when she reached the sidewalk.

"Mort, the murder weapon was never found, correct?" she asked cryptically.

He acknowledged, "You're right."

"And what kind of weapon was it again?" she asked Seth.

"It was some type of metal, " Seth explained, still wondering what Jessica was up to, "with two flattened points at one end, much like a crowbar."

"A crowbar..." murmured Jessica under her breath. Then outloud she said, "you know, if the murder weapon was never found _inside_ the house...perhaps the killer hid it _outside_!"

Mort looked surprised, "You mean, somewhere, HERE?" he asked, looking about.

"That's crazy, CRAZY I tell you!" Stacy instantly yelled at Jessica, "for your information, the police already searched the front yard! They even ran a metal detector all over the place!"

"They did?" Mort questioned.

"You bet they did!" Stacy nodded vigorously, "and they found NOTHING!"

That piece of news _did_ sound rather discouraging.

But Jessica continued scanning and finally walked over to where the streetlamp was embedded in the grass patch next to the curb, and thoroughly examined the area, while Seth and Mort continued to look confused.

"Mrs. Draken, did you plant those hydrangeas around that public streetlamp over there?" Jessica next asked.

"I did," Stacy stated petulantly, "So?"

Jessica pointed, "It's just that that patch of hydrangeas over there are a solid pink color, yet on the other side," she pointed, "the hydrangeas are starting to come in blue."

"So?" Stacy repeated herself.

"Can a crowbar be made of aluminum?" Jessica asked Mort.

"Sure," answered Mort, "although the titanium ones are better. Aluminum ones tend to rust and corrode easier. Why, Mrs. F?"

"I enjoy growing hydrangeas, myself," Jessica explained "and I know they tend to be sensitive to acidity in the soil, like aluminum. The rust can change their color. See this whole row of pink flowers here?" she pointed, "They're unchanged. _But_ on this _other_ side, the flowers have a tint of blue to them. I think if we dig underneath _here,_ we may just find the murder weapon!"

"No, that doesn't make sense!" Stacy looked scared, "the hydrangeas turned blue because it's so close to the lamppost, which is made of metal, too!"

"That's not true," Seth reasoned, "lamppost are made of galvanized steel so that it WOULDN'T rust!"

"That _riight!_ " Mort jumped in, "That's why when the police came along with their metal detectors, they got 'pings' in this area! They just assumed it was because of the lamppost and ignored the warning pings!"

"Welllllll, I won't allow you to get further evidence against Lars!" Stacy was adamant, "No way will you dig up MY garden. You have no authority!"

"That's where you're wrong, Mrs. Draken," Mort said, sounding very official, "Number one, we don't need your permission to dig around _here_ , since this section with the lamppost is considered public land, and two, we don't need further evidence against your husband, because he's already been convicted!"

#

And later when the lamppost area where blue hydrangeas grew was dug up, they found a rusting crowbar hidden in the dirt. Subsequent tests confirmed Lars' fingerprints on one end and his first wife's blood on the other end of the weapon.

So Seth could breathe a sigh of relief because they had convicted the right man.

But because Lars _was_ guilty and already sentenced to prison for life, he probably wouldn't want to suddenly go on a murderous revenge spree, especially if that would only bring attention back to the murder conviction of his wife.

So, unfortunately, Mort, Seth and Jessica were back to square one in finding out who had poisoned Bert Bradley and Seth.

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 _Please review_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was dark when Seth dropped Jessica off at her house.

At the front door, they faced each other as Seth held her hands. A soft moonbeam shone out onto the porch. After such a busy day with people and solving a mini-mystery, Jessica welcomed the solitude of being alone with Seth.

"You sure you don't want to come in, Seth?" she asked.

"Tempting as it may be, Jess," Seth told her, "I'm afraid I wouldn't be the company you deserve. But I will definitely take a rain-check in the very near future!"

"I'll be sure to hold you to that promise, Seth!"

"Good; in fact, how about this Saturday night?" he suggested, "We could share a wonderful dinner out and then take in the cinema later. After all, I do owe you a fabulous first date!"

She looked hesitantly at him, "You sure you'll be up to it?"

"I'll force myself to be!" Seth jested, "I don't think I can take any more of the 'royal' treatment from Beverly. I never knew until now that food could explode in the microwave!"

Jessica laughed.

"So, Jess, we're on for Saturday, right?" he asked, with a wistfulness tone.

"Hmmm..." Jessica had a playful look, "let me check my calendar so that I can _erase_ any activities I had penciled in for Saturday," she teased.

Seth chuckled, happiness showing in his eyes.

But when he took a step closer to her, his eyes became solemn again.. Jessica held her breath at his nearness, her cheeks flushed. She watched in awe as his hands went around her waist and pulled her even closer.

Then wordlessly, he leaned in to kiss her.

The kiss that took her breath away. And when they separated, they shared a loving smile.

"Good night, Jess," he gently said.

"Night, Seth," she said.

And as he watched her open her door, his heart already ached for her.

#

The next day Seth had called early afternoon and asked if she would like to go with him to visit Logan's father, Judge Lachlin Mcintosh; his health had deteriorated quite a bit.

 _As if Seth didn't have enough to deal with_ , Jessica thought to herself _, First the death of his good friend, Police Captain Bert Bradley, then being poisoned himself, and now the weakened state of another dear friend from his old fraternity._

So of course she accepted.

#

Logan was the one who answered the door. Gone was that cocky swagger of his.

"Uncle Seth, Jessica," he solemnly stated, "The Judge is expect you," he opened the door wider so that they could enter, "The house is messy and it looks like it's falling apart, but with my working full time, I haven't had time to fix it up."

"I think your house is charming," Jessica stated with diplomacy.

"Thanks for that," he had a half-smile and added, "It's good Dad has some visitors to distract him. He's in his bedroom. Come this way. "

They had went down the hallway and entered the Judge's quarters.

The room was set up almost like a portable hospital. It had a regulation adjustable bed and a freestanding IV drip stand. The night table was covered with medication.

Judge Lachlin McIntosh laid in the slightly upright bed, his eyes staring straight ahead. A nasal cannula, which is a breathing tube connected to a portable oxygen generator, was placed in his nose. It was obvious he had once been an imposing man. But now,with his shrunken body and sallow coloring, he was half that man in his weakened state.

"Judge?" Logan called out to his father, "Look who's here...Seth!"

It took time for the words to register. Lachlin slowly turned his head and then his dull eyes lit up a bit as he spoke out, a Scottish brogue evident in his speech.

"Seth! Tis surely a sight for these tired eyes!"

Seth leaned over for a quick hug.

"Good to see you, my friend!" Seth greeted him. Then he gently guided Jessica forward, "and Lachlin, I'd like you to meet my very special lady, Ms. Jessica Fletcher!"

Seth looked so proud.

Jessica gave Lachlin her brightest smile as she held out her hand, "So nice to meet you, Lachlin!"

Due to his illness, Lachlin's smile made him look a bit scary, but Jessica's sincere smile never wavered.

"Please te meet ye, Jessica lass!" he greeted her "An' can this be th' JB Fletcher who writes th' mystery books? "

Jessica's smile became brighter, "So you've read my books?"

"Aye," he acknowledged, " Mah body is goen, but mah eyes wirk perfectly guid, an' yer books ur as entertainin' as can be!"

It was a lot of words for him to say, so Lachlin needed to take in some air.

Meanwhile, Logan stepped up with two chairs for Jessica and Seth, "Sit for awhile, you two, and I'll bring some refreshments." He then left.

"Ye dun guid for yeself, Seth!" Lachlin eyed Jessica, "the lassie 'ere is as luvly as the highlands!"

"She is at that!" Seth admitted with pride. He then became solemn as he put his hand over Lachlin's, "But you know, dear friend, we've truly missed you at our monthly get togethers. I'm sorry you're not up to the socializin'."

"Bah! Who kin I blame but meself? Tese cigarette's ar cancer stiks, thay ar!" Lachlin stated, and then gave Seth a berating look, "but tis be time for celebratin now! Whaur is tat special bottle o' whiskey i've bin wantin'?"

"You know as well as I do, we can't drink that special whiskey now," Seth told him, "It's not our time."

Seth then explained to Jessica the story of when he and Lachlin were in a Fraternity with three other best buddies. Lachlin's father owned a pub and gave the boys his finest bottle of whiskey on the day they graduated. He told them that one day they will turn old and gray like him then pass away, one by one. The last person remaining will celebrate his friends' lives by opening that special whiskey bottle and calling out each friend's name before taking a dram of the drink.

And now Seth and Lachlin were the last two alive from that Fraternity.

"I don't think either one of us will be taking that drink for a time," Seth said.

"Hmmph! Seth, mah freind, if ye be th' last one standin' , mae ye choke on th' whiskey!" Lachlin responded, his tone teasing.

The three laughed until Lachlin began a series of hacking coughs. In the meantime, Logan arrived with refreshments and immediately tended to his father, giving him his medication with water.

When Lachlin recovered, he spoke to Jessica, "I believin' yer thinkin' us a bit morbid, Jessica."

"No, not at all, Lachlin! I could see how calling out each person's name while taking a drink is an admirable way to honor the memories of such wonderful friendships!" Jessica graciously answered.

"Ha! Tis proves it! Tis kyndness an' smairt, tis one be!" Lachlin stated happily, "Mae hat aff tae ye, Seth! Ye truly be a lucky man!"

Seth and Jessica visited for another 15 minutes. They could see Lachlin was fading fast and getting exhausted. It was time to go. Lachlin made Seth promise that he would never visit UNLESS he brought Jessica with him.

Logan walked them to the door.

"Thanks for coming," Logan actually looked appreciative, "the Judge seemed happier with your visit."

"That positive change in your father is because of my gal here," Seth stated with pride, "I like to call it the _Jessica Effect._ "

"Oh Seth!" Jessica stated humbly, "I'm just being me!"

"And bein' _you_ wins them over, each and every time, Jess!" Seth responded with conviction, as he lovingly squeezed her hand. He couldn't wait until Saturday.

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 _Please review_

 _Next chapter will explore the second and last case Seth and victim Police Captain Bert Bradley worked on from five years ago!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next day Jessica showed up at the Sheriff's office. She had brought with her a basket of freshly baked blueberries.

"Much obliged, Mrs. F," Mort said as he accepted the basket, "I'll be sure to pass it around and share it with everyone here."

"You're welcome," she said, as she looked around, "Where's Andy?"

"He's answering a call," Mort said, "Darby Curtis had a scuffle with his neighbor yesterday and the guy pushed Darby down. So Andy left to Darby's house to talk with him."

Jessica looked confused, "Andy just went to interview Darby _now_? Why not yesterday, when it happened?"

"That's because it was only last night that Darby removed his toupee," Mort explained, "and when he did, _that's_ when he discovered the huge bump on the back of his head, so _now_ he wants to file charges!"

"Oh myyy, poor Darby," Jessica snickered while shaking her head.

"You can't _make_ these things up!" Mort claimed. Then he added, "but I know you didn't come here to trade Cabot Cove small town stories, so what's up?"

"Actually, I _am_ here to trade small town stories," she said, "but of a different nature. I thought you might inform me about the second case that involved Seth and Bert Bradley."

Before Mort could answer, the door opened and Seth came in.

"Seth!" Jessica rushed over to give him a peck on the cheek, "I thought you were booked with appointments all morning!"

"I thought so, too, until I found out the reason was because all my patients wanted to know where I was goin' on my first date with this beautiful lady of mine!" he peered over at Jessica who lightly blushed.

"Speaking of which, when's this big date going down?" Mort asked, "Andy has been really bugging me for details, too!"

"Hmmph! You two are worse than the gossip-mongers down at Loretta's!" Seth complained, "but if you must know, I plan on takin' Jess to dinner and the movies Saturday night. O _kay_? So can we now go on to some really important matters now?"

But then he caught a glimpse of the basket on Mort's desk that Jessica had brought in.

" _Aaan_ d what do we have _here?_ " Seth's eyes lit up at the basket of muffins, "Do my eyes deceive me, or are those blueberry muffins I see?"

Jessica and Mort exchanged glances. So much for important matters!

Mort held the basket possessively away from Seth, "They're for my investigative staff!"

"And you, Jess and me are workin' a case together," reasoned Seth testily, "so what does _that_ make _me_ a part of? Your coat-rack?"

"Don't worry you two," chuckled Jessica, as Mort reluctantly put the basket back on the desk, "there's plenty to go around for everyone!"

"Well, consider me everyone!" Seth responded, as he reached out and took a blueberry from the basket while Mort went to pour everyone some fresh coffee. He brought back two piping hot coffee mugs as Seth and Jessica sat opposite him.

"Do you think we might find a motive with the second case Seth and Bert Bradley worked on together?" Jessica asked.

Mort held up a folder, "I just so happen have the file right here," he stated:

Case #2

 _Dr. Seth Hazlitt of Cabot Cove was a witness to a robbery while visiting his friend, Police Captain Bert Bradley at his residence. According to his account, he had been visiting for approximately an hour when he saw from the large living room window, a blue Mustang pull up to the home of Jack Reynolds, the next door neighbor of Captain Bradley. He watched as two youths in their early 20's exited the car and looked about cautiously before entering the house._

 _Jack Reynolds was on vacation for a month._

 _Dr. Hazlitt reported seeing the boys suspiciously removing at TV from the premise and immediately informed the Captain who went to question the boys. Although they were the nephews of Mr. Reynolds, Police Captain Bradley arrested them after eventually discovering that Greg and Garrett Reynolds not only stole the TV from the Reynolds' residence, the police also recovered_ _stolen money and jewels in the pockets of the youths, estimated to be worth approximately $15,000._

"I remembered those kids," Seth recalled, "they were snobbish, mean and entitled!"

"Preach it to the choir, Doc," Mort said, "I read alllll about that in the file this morning. The boys were belligerent during the trial and were eventually sentenced to five years in prison. They were released last month."

"Five years?" Jessica said, "that's a pretty harsh sentence for a first offense."

"Not if you pull a weapon on law officers," Mort said, "when Bert went to investigate the neighbor's house, the boys had slipped out the back way. But Seth saw their escape and immediately notified the police. Two squad cars arrived, and that's when the two brothers pulled out unregistered guns on the officers. But surprisingly, Seth was able to talk them into surrendering."

"And even though the uncle didn't press charges," Seth continued, "the Police Captain _did_ and along with my testimony, the boys were sentenced with a guilty verdict."

"Thus the possible motive of wanting to get back at Seth and the Police Captain," Mort theorized.

"Dear me," Jessica opinioned, "I could see why they would be upset about getting caught. To them, it would have been such an easy robbery. They would know the schedule and would know where to get the key to the house."

"The Bar Harbor Police Department had suspected these two boys of several other robberies around the neighborhood, too," Mort told them, "but they never had proof. Until this robbery. They eventually found other stolen properties at their premises."

"After their release, where did they go?" Jessica asked.

"Their place of residence, which is the basement of their rich parent's home," Mort told her, "no big surprise there. They have no job, no education and no future, but the parents continue to finance everything for them."

"Thus my use of the word 'entitled' to describe them!" Seth complained.

"Maybe it would be good if we could go have a talk with them," Jessica suggested.

"I wouldn't mind seein' them again," Seth said, "I would LOVE to give them a piece of my mind!"

"No, Doc, I wouldn't advise you coming with us," Mort said, "you'll probably just make them even angrier."

"It's not as if they were happy-go-lucky to begin with, anyway!" Seth pointed out, "I'm goin' whether you like it or not!"

"I don't think you can talk him out of it, Mort," Jessica said.

Mort sighed., "You're probably right about that, Mrs. F," he put on his hat, "Okay. Let's go, then."

Mort opened the front door and Jessica and Seth to leave first.. And just as Mort began to shut the door, he heard someone yelling at them from down the street.

"Sheriff Metzger! Jessica! Uncle Seth!"

They all turned and saw Detective Logan McIntosh rushing towards them.

Jessica raised her hand to wave a friendly greeting at him when suddenly-

BANG!

A shot ran out.

It went wide, ricocheting off the wall of the sheriff's office as everyone instinctively ducked. It seemed to be coming from up on top of the roof from the building across the street. From the sidewalk, Logan began running and pulling out his weapon at the same time.

Mort also had his weapon out as he shielded Seth and Jessica.

Next he ordered them, "Get back inside the office! NOW!"

Everything was happening so fast. Seth covered Jessica as he quickly opened the door. Another shot rang out. As Jessica was being shoved inside, she heard Seth let out a moan.

"Seth!" she screamed, but she couldn't be heard as she heard return fire from Mort's side. More shots fired, and some of them seemed to be coming from the direction ofwhere she had last seen Logan. However, she couldn't tell who was firing what or from where. She turned when she heard Seth's agonized groan.

"SETH!" She tried to grab him

But he fell to the floor, and all Jessica remembered was seeing a lot of blood.

And she knew he had been shot.

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 _Please review_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Back safely inside the Sheriff's office, Jessica watched in horror as blood spurted out from Seth's leg.

Her face was white as a sheet, "Seth, you've been shot!"

She knelt down and Seth was already removing his jacket.

"Yeah, but luckily it missed any arteries and it went through and through, Jess. Nothin' to be upset about!" he assured her. Although his words were nonchalant, his voice was shaky, "but I need you to stay calm because I do need help, Jess. That's right...breathe in and out...now, I need to sit in a chair so I can elevate my leg. Then use my jacket here to wrap it just above my wound as hard as you can!"

So much to do, but Jessica was up to the task.

He hobbled over to a chair with Jessica's help and then she brought another chair for his injured leg. She then quickly began to wrap the sleeves of his jacket around his leg.

"Ow! What the Sam Hill!" Seth grimaced.

"Seth, I'm sorry! Did I wrap it too tight?"

"No, it's good, it's good..." Seth sucked in his breath, "but it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like the dickens!"

"Are you doing okay?" Jessica asked, "because I need to go over and call 911 now."

"I'm fine. Go on..." he said.

As she dashed to the phone, the door burst opened with Mort and Logan, bleeding from the arm. Seth checked Logan's wound and verified it was luckily a flesh wound. Jessica quickly gave the dispatch the required information and hung up. Without saying a word, she then removed her jacket and began to wrap it around Logan's arm as he sat.

"Don't worry," she said, "I consider myself an expert on this now. The ambulance from the county hospital will be here soon."

"Uh...thanks," Logan said.

Seth, though still in pain, asked, "So, Mort... did you see... who was shooting at us?"

"No, the person got away," Mort had a disgusted look as he shook his head back and forth, "I should have been more aware, should have been faster!"

"You can't blame yourself for a madman shooter," Jessica understandably reasoned.

"Well, I'm going back out there, see if there's any traces of the shooter," he stated while looking at the other three, "Everyone going to be alright?"

"You just be careful out there!" Jessica warned him, "the shooter may not have even left the area yet."

"I will, don't worry," he said as he left.

#

At the hospital, Logan's left shoulder and Seth's right leg, were both diagnosed as being non-life threatening. Luckily for both the bullet passed through leaving an entry and an exit wound of a fleshy part of their bodies and did not cause any real damage. Just a lot of blood and pain.

Both men were recovering after receiving blood transfusions. They had an armed guard at Seth's door, and both had to remain in the hospital overnight for observations.

Jessica was in the hospital all day. If she wasn't in the waiting room, she was in the actual hospital room, either visiting Logan or of course, especially, Seth. Although Seth enjoyed her company, he really didn't need her hovering over him, especially since his injury wasn't life threatening.

"Don't you've got other things to do, Woman?" Seth asked her, "You've got other responsibilities; that big house of yours needs tidin', and that garden needs tendin' , while your book needs some writin'!"

But Jessica knew exactly why Seth made that comment that maybe she should be doing other things. He was thinking more about her needs than his own.

"Seth Hazlitt, I've done all my house chores already and I'm not in the mood for doing any kind of writing because I'm suffering from writer's block...so I guess you're stuck with me!"

"Writer's block, my foot!" Seth was not convinced, "My good foot, at least! And if 'writer's block' (he air-quoted that phrase) is what you're distressed about, maybe _I_ can help with your strugglin'!"

Jessica lifted an eyebrow, "You think so, Seth? You think _you'll_ be able get my story started for me?"

"Ayuh, I know I can!" he stated confidently, although his eyes looked mischievous.

At least Seth was distracted.

Jessica challenged him, "The floor is all yours, Dr. Hazlitt, please help me with the opening chapter..."

"I will do that!" Seth said confidently, "Just give me the name of your heroine; otherwise, I will give her the name of either Myrtle or Gertrude!"

" _Don't you dare do that to my character_!" Jessica warned, a slight smile to her lips, "My heroine's name is, Ella, for your information. So proceed with my mystery story, please."

"Al-right, I _will_ ," Seth determinedly said as he looked up at the ceiling to think and then as if a light bulb went on, he looked back at Jessica, and with a smile, he began:

 _"Fall had just begun in Cabot Cove, Maine. The days had turned more brisk, transformin' the trees into a breathtakin' palette of red, yellows and oranges. Still, it was a day like any other workday when Ella_..." he tried to think of a last name, " _Vader_ _found the detective stoopin' over the dead body-."_

"-Wait," Jessica interrupted, "Her name is 'elevator'?"

"Not _elevator_ ," Seth deadpanned, "Ella Vader! A fine, FINE name!"

Jessica managed a straight face but barely, "Go on."

Seth cleared his throat, "' _The detective asked Ella, "Do you recognize this man?" but it was hard for him to maintain a professional demeanor, for Detective Marshall Law..."_ he heard Jessica snicker at the name, "... _was taken in by Ella's beauty. It was her eyes that totally captivated him. To him, Ella's eyes reminded him of the glorious stars that shone above at night. Not because they twinkled, but because they were so far apart._..and THAT'S the end of chapter one!"

But Jessica was already laughing.

"That was the worst story ever, Seth!"

"What do you mean? It has ALL the makin's of a best-seller!" he claimed.

Jessica was looking lovingly at him and it made his heart thump in his chest. She reached out and grazed his cheek, making him want to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Jess," he was now sincere as he gently as he touched her hand, "I'm sorry we won't be able to go out to the movies and dinner tomorrow. They're keepin' me in here for one more day."

The feel of Jessica's hand was warm and feminine. Just feeling a touch from him still caused knots in his stomach. Their gazes were intricately locked. It was as though they had forgotten that Logan was in the room.

"Oh, Seth, there'll be plenty of other times for us to go on that first date," she promised, "after all, we can't disappoint the ladies at Loretta's now, can we?"

The hospital door opened and Mort entered. Greetings from everyone was exchanged.

"Are you ready to go, Mrs. F?" Mort asked Jessica.

"Go?" Seth looked surprised, "She's just got here!"

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to go and do some writing?" Jessica pointed out.

"But with my help, that part is completed!" Seth reasoned.

"Huh?" Mort asked.

"You don't want to know," Jessica said, stifling a smile.

"Where are you two goin' anyway?" Seth wanted to know, "Does it have to do with the case?"

"It does," Mort said, "we plan to talk with Greg and Garrett Reynolds. There's a part of me that wishes they aren't guilty of killing Bert and the attempted murder of you and the Doc here, because they're just boys, but another part of me that wants them guilty so that this is done and over with!"

"Hopefully we'll be closer to knowing that answer by talking with them," Jessica said.

"I should be goin' too," Seth wistfully complained.

"We'll be sure to keep you updated," Mort promised and then he turned to Jessica, "Come on, Mrs. F."

She leaned over and kissed Seth on the forehead, "I'll see you soon."

"Be careful, Jess," he told her.

"I will."

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 _Please review_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 _When Jessica and Mort visited the Reynolds' home, they found out the boys, Greg and Garrett had had many run ins with the law in their short lives. Growing up in a privileged household and getting everything they wanted didn't keep them from stealing from their neighbors and relatives; they stole anything from money, to silverware, to jewelry and even cars._

 _Their parents, Jim and Laurie Reynolds tried everything- counseling, drug rehab, and separating the boys, but nothing worked. So when the boys got out of prison, they were only allowed to live in the family basement, which was actually considered quite luxe by some people's standards._

"When the boys stole from their Uncle Jack, that's when I finally put my foot down," Jim was explaining to Jessica and Mort as they sat in the plush living room, "no more slick lawyers and legal favors."

"If you ask me," Laurie, the mother, defensively stated, "I thought the charges against my boys were completely unfair! They may have pulled out semiautomatics on the arresting officers, but it wasn't as if they fired them!"

Mort and Jessica had to rein in their feelings regarding how blind the mother could be when it came to her boys. So Mort turned to the father.

"Mr. Reynolds. Do you own a scoped rifle?"

"Scoped rifle? You mean a sniper rifle?" Jim sounded suspicious.

"One and the same," Mort commented.

"Are you accusing me of something?" the father looked defensive, "because I don't have to answer that!"

"Not at all, but in my experience," Mort said, "people who say _'I don't have to answer that'_ are usually hiding something!"

Laurie wondered, "Are you referring to my boys? Are they in trouble again?"

"Just answer the question," Mort urged.

"We don't have to, we know our rights!" Jim insisted, "but I will tell you for a fact that I don't have a scoped rifle!"

"Maybe not now, but you had previously," Jessica interjected, as three pairs of surprised eyes turned her way.

Laurie looked indignant, "You don't _know_ such a thing!"

"You're right...it's more an educated guess," Jessica admitted, "When we first entered and past the guest closet, I noticed it had scratched marks around the knob, like someone had tried to break the lock. And just now when Mrs. Reynolds asked about the scoped rifle, her eyes flitted over towards that same guest closet."

"Makes sense to me," Mort agreed, "I guess both of you tried to keep the weapon away from your boys, but they found it anyway."

"For YOUR information..." Laurie didn't deny it, "the boys aren't even allowed in the main house! They have no keys and we've set up an alarm system with coded numbers!"

"But boys being boys, I assume they are quite resourceful," Jessica pointed out, "and I'm sure the alarm code must be something easy to remember. What is it? A birthday? your anniversary? The house address?"

Jim and Laurie exchanged awkward glances.

"We aren't responsible for what the boys do any longer," Jim stated, "they are considered adults in the eyes of the law! And yes, I admit that I had once owned a scoped rifle, but mine was stolen awhile back; I just never reported it and that's not a crime!"

"No, it isn't," Mort said, "but I'll tell what IS a crime...the two of you allowing convicted felons to possess a firearm!That's at least two more years in state prison for them. And if you had knowledge that they were the ones who took your gun and you knowingly didn't report it, that makes you an accessory to a crime!"

The parents were looking overwrought, so Jessica decided this was the perfect time to change the subject.

"Mrs. Reynolds, despite the loveliness of your home," Jessica observed, "I assume the house is actually very old?"

The other three people looked confused at the sudden switch in topics.

"Why do you ask?" Laurie asked.

"I couldn't help noticing your mailbox outside with your name on it," Jessica commented, "the mailbox obviously been there a very long time, so that means you've probably lived here for quite a time, too."

"Not that it's any of your business," Laurie coolly stated, "but we had inherited this house from my parents, so, yes, it's been in our family for decades."

"Well, it's beautifully maintained; but still, old houses present many unforeseen problems," Jessica stated understandably, "I know that from having my own seasoned home. For me, I've had to deal with leaky roofs, broken pipes, and even rat problems ..."

"How _dare_ you imply-" Laurie began but Jessica continued.

"...and, unfortunately, dealing with rats require rat _poison_..." she then gave Mort a knowing look, who caught on quickly.

"...and rat poison contains _thallium_!" he interjected, looking very proud of himself.

Jessica nodded, "- _and_ rat poison is usually stored in the garage or the-"

"BASEMENT!" both Mort and Jessica said in unison, both knowing that's was where the boys resided, so that they would have easy access to the poison.

Jim and Laurie didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"You two need to leave." Jim announced, already standing.

Mort and Jessica had no choice. They also stood.

They were escorted out and then the door was shut. The sounds of locks could be heard behind them. And as they walked through the front yard, they heard some loud, booming music coming from the room below the house.

"Sounds like the two young men are home," Mort commented, head-gesturing towards the basement.

Jessica nodded, "I believe you're right, Mort."

"Maybe we should pay them a visit," he suggested.

"Perhaps we should," she agreed.

#

Later that evening, Jessica went to visit Seth as he sat up on the hospital bed.

"So did anything happen when you visited the Reynolds' place?" Seth asked.

"Quite a bit," she said, as she began to explain.

Jessica updated him on the visit to the parents and then how Mort and she eventually dropped by to see the boys, who were disrespectful and full of themselves throughout Mort and Jessica's visit.

"By the way," Jessica added, "when Mort brought up your name to Greg and Garrett, they remembered you testifying against them in court."

"Oh, I don't doubt they remembered me...and they probably had a few curse words associated with my name, too," Seth said, "they blamed the Police Captain and myself for lockin' them away! I bet they were disappointed hearin' I wasn't dead yet!"

"They definitely were not happy," admitted Jessica, but then countered with, "but no need to let it get to you, Seth. They're the type of boys that blame all their troubles on others."

"It's not that _that's_ got me in a snit," Seth moped, "It's just that..." he sighed, "the doctor told me I need to be monitored on the heart machine overnight. And I need to be monitored like a person needs a hole in the head!"

"Seth, I'm sure it's just usual hospital procedure," Jessica assured him.

"But that also means that we'll have to cancel our date AGAIN!" Seth complained.

"Is _that_ what's bothering you?" Jessica smiled and caressed his cheek with her hand at the sweet thought, "Well, don't you worry...our first date will happen soon enough!"

He brightened up.

"Oh yeah? How about this comin' Saturday," Seth suggested, "I know the charity event didn't work out, and neither did the theatre and the movie; so I was thinkin'...how about you and I do a picnic up at the cliffs Saturday lunchtime? Get a little fresh ocean breeze and some alone time."

He was surprised when Jessica looked hesitate.

"Perhaps Saturday would not be the right time to do that, Seth."

His face fell, "Why not? You're feelin' okay aren't you, Jess?"

"Oh, yes, indeed!" she assured him before looking solemn again, "but I'm worried over the two Reynolds' boys."

"Those hoodlums?" Seth's tone was one of annoyance, "I don't get it. What does Saturday have to do with _them_?"

"Hopefully I'm wrong," Jessica told Seth ominously, "but I think they're planning to do something bad. _Very_ bad, and whatever it is, it's going to occur this Saturday!"

Seth looked incredulous.

"You sure, Jess?"

"No, it's more a hunch of mine, really..." Jessica admitted as she reassuredly patted Seth's hand, "but, perhaps I'm wrong and there's nothing to worry about at all!"

But Seth knew better.

For Jessica was rarely wrong in her assumptions.

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	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jessica sat next to Seth in his hospital bed, after he had been shot in the leg. She had just informed him of her misgivings about the Reynolds' boys.

"Did you inform Mort as to what the boys may be planning for this Saturday?" Seth asked.

"Oh yes," Jessica nodded, "but I couldn't tell him any more than that since it's just based on a hunch I have."

"If I recall correctly, Jess, your hunches are usually based on facts."

She didn't deny it, "Actually, I _had_ noticed some suspicious things in the boys room, which led me to think the boys were up to something nefarious."

Seth raised a brow, "Oh? Such as?"

"Such as," Jessica continued, "while Mort was questioning the Reynolds' boys in their basement room, one of the first things I noticed was that they had a calendar up above their bed. It was posted on the right month, which was actually rather strange, considering they had just recently been released from jail. And even stranger was the fact that in the space for this coming Saturday, the boys had circled it, with skull and crossbones drawn in that date as well."

"Skull and crossbones?"

"Yes. It struck me as rather foreboding."

"Maybe they were celebratin' bein' pirates!" Seth lightly suggested, "Anythin' else suspicious that caught your eye'?"

"Yes. Their dresser top. It had been crowded with all types of paperwork, but there was one item in particular that caught my eye. I happened to spot the corner of a cardboard mailer, which was peeking out from the mess and the return address was the U.S. Passports and International Bureau."

Seth turned that information over in his mind, "You think they're plannin' on skippin' the _country?"_

"They're certainly capable of it," Jessica stated, "after all, what's keeping them here?"

"You're right about that," Seth agreed, "but it doesn't make sense that they would try to exact some type of murder revenge before they left the country! They may be spoiled and entitled, but why would they risk their freedom again?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet, but they're definitely guilty of _something,_ " she contemplatively answered, "it's hard to determine what two very angry, vengeful young men _might_ do, especially since I also suspect that they are in possession of their parents' scoped rifle!"

"They're certainly not planning to play chess in the near future!" Seth commented, "So what happens next?"

"We find out what they plan to do," Jessica said, "and then we make sure they are stopped from doing it!"

"We? Now Jess," Seth seemed to be lecturing her, "you need to stay out of this!"

"But I'm already involved, Seth! I can't stop now, especially since it's connected to you!"

"You CAN stop now, Jess, because it's gettin' _really_ dangerous! Dang it all, this isn't fiction from one of your novels we're discussin' here!" Seth huffed, "It's time you take yourself outta this and let Logan, Mort and the other law officials handle it!"

Their conversation was interrupted when the hospital door opened and nurse Ruth entered.

"And how's my little ray of sunshine this night?" the nurse asked Seth in a sardonic tone.

He folded his arms.

"Your little ray of sunshine is pretty stormy, I'd say!" he told her, "I just hope you're here to check me out of this miserable medical edifice!"

"Sethhh," Jessica berated him, "I'm sure Nurse Ruth is giving you the best care possible!" when Seth balked, she added, "...of course, you could _always_ be put under the care of your assistant Beverly again!"

Seth actually looked distressed.

"Wellllll...I suppose I can stand to stay here another day in this get-well prison! But two days would _really_ be pushin' it!"

Nurse Ruth lifted a brow as she looked over at a snickering Jessica.

"Maybe it's good you're here, Mrs. Fletcher," she dryly stated, "in your presence, he's actually funny!"

After the nurse took Seth's vitals, she left, leaving Seth and Jessica alone.

"They say you don't know what you have until it's gone," Seth grumbled, "well, I know what I've had with _that nurse_ , and I'm glad she's gone!" He then glanced over at her chiding look, "Sorry, Jess. Just so frustrated that our first date has been interrupted AGAIN!"

Jessica smiled, "Don't worry, Seth, our first date WILL happen! Besides, why do we even need a first date? We _already_ know each other so well that we don't _need_ to spend any more time getting to know one another!"

Seth chuckled, "You're right about that! We do know each other well, and yet you STILL keep comin' back!"

He reached up to touch her cheek and it caused a responsive pulse in her body. She didn't move as she drowned in the caress of his touch. Her heart was once more caught in a whirlwind as she reached down to give him a light kiss.

A wave of love captured both of them when they embraced. Jessica could feel his heart pounding as well as her own. And when she straightened, she could read the love in his eyes.

"Jess," he pleaded, his voice hoarse, "stay safe so that I can always be with you."

She gently smiled, "I promise."

#

Saturday had arrived and they were no closer to figuring out what Greg and Garrett had been planning. Jessica had arrived early at Mort's office to see if he's heard any news.

"Logan and Andy are staked out at the Reynolds' place," Mort informed her, "they'll call me if anyone at that house makes a move to leave."

"They're sure the brothers haven't left?" Jessica wouldn't be at all surprised if the boys had managed to slip out.

"Positive," Mort assured her, "all morning the boys were seen fixing their pick up truck. Then they both disappeared through their basement door again. And we already know that's the only door they can use as an exit. There's no back door."

Jessica nodded, "I just hope I'm wrong and nothing bad this Saturday."

"I'm hoping that, too," Mort concurred, "By the way, how's the Doc?"

"Restless, but fine," Jessica informed him, "he's being released sometime today."

"You need me to help you pick him up?" Mort asked.

Just then the sheriff's office door opened and Seth walked in. His leg was lightly wrapped and he was slightly limping. Jessica immediately went to his side.

"Seth!" Jessica stated in a frustrated tone, "why didn't you tell me you had already been released from the hospital?"

"I was injured, not useless!" Seth claimed.

"Here, let me help you to the chair," she volunteered, as she helped him take a seat. She then sat next to him.

"You're looking good, Doc," Mort noted.

"I'm just glad to be out of that dang hospital!" Seth stated. Then he had a solemn expression, "Any news yet regarding those Reynolds' boys?"

"Nothing yet," Mort responded, "and the silence is killing me. Pun not intended."

"At least we can remove Logan from the list of suspects," Seth noted, "after all, he was with us when the shooter used us as target practice the other day and Logan was actually one of the people injured."

"I'm rather relieved to know that, too," Jessica said, "I'm beginning to warm up to him. At times, he can be almost pleasant."

"-when he doesn't hide behind that ego of his!" Mort interjected.

R-i-i-n-g!

Mort answered the phone.

"Metzger here."

A murmur of words could be heard coming from the other line.

"Got it," Mort acknowledged, "be right there."

He hung up.

"What is it, Mort?" Jessica watched as Mort got his hat from the stand and placed it on his head.

"That was Andy," Mort explained with a worried look, "and something's happening at the Reynolds' place."

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	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Andy had called in that some activity was happening at the Reynolds' home. Jessica had suggested that instead of taking the squad car, Mort should drive Seth's station wagon. It would be less intimidating, she reasoned and Mort agreed.

She sat in the passenger side while Seth was in the back and Mort was driving.

"Mort, what did Andy exactly say was happening at the Reynolds' house?" she asked him.

Mort stopped at a red light.

"He said the parents were headed to a wedding of their niece, whereas the boys had been working on their car most of the morning, like they were fixing to go somewhere."

"Strange that the boys would not be invited to the wedding," Jessica noted.

Mort nodded, "Exactly."

He next pulled his vehicle a ways back from the Reynolds' estate, out of sight from the front of the house, but close enough to observe it with some effort.

Mort, Seth and Jessica then got out to join Andy and Logan, who were standing next to Andy's Chevy Cavalier.

Logan, who stood there with his arm in a soft cast, stared down at Seth's wrapped leg.

"How's your leg, Uncle Seth?"

"Like your arm;wrapped up, but fine!" Seth responded, "although I think polka dancin' is still out for me this week!"

"So what's happening up at the house?" Mort asked Andy, peering through the tall bushes towards the house.

"The parents, who are dressed in their wedding best, just finished packing the dropped-off presents into their car and left," Andy explained, "I figured the boys would be making their move soon."

And then as if on cue, the boys appeared.

They emerged from the basement, dressed all in black, carrying three duffel bags and a backpack. Tossing the bags into the back of the truck, they then got into the cab and older brother Greg started the engine and they pulled out.

Little did they realized that from a distance, two vehicles were covertly following them.

#

Down a winding drive, away from the busier sections of Bar Harbor, sat the four-star Bayview Hotel. The two cars containing Mort, Seth, Jessica; the other, Andy and Logan. They had parked a ways down from the red pick up truck. The five of them watched as Greg and Garrett emerged, took the backpack and duffel bags out from the back, hefted them on their shoulders, and disappeared into the building.

All five observers got out of the cars to plan their next move.

"A hotel?" Logan wondered, as they all viewed the expensive hotel.

"You don't think they plan to bomb the place, do you?" Andy asked.

"I doubt a bomb could be in those duffel bags," Mort commented, "they look pretty empty to me."

"Maybe three of the bags," Logan said, "but I noticed one of them looked like they contained something heavier."

Seems to me it's best we split up and cover all the exits."

"I'll cover the back exit," Andy volunteered.

"I'll do lookout on the side windows," Logan stated, as he patted his jacket where he kept his Glock.

"I'll handle the front entrance," Mort decided.

While they discussed their plan, Seth and Jessica had begun walking up to the hotel.

"Whoa, hold on, you two," Mort stopped them, "just where to you think you're going?"

"The hotel's a big place with hallways and many floors," Seth pointed out, "you'll need eyes all over the place, so I thought I'd take a look/see inside."

"And if Seth goes, I go," Jessica stated.

"I don't think that's wise," Logan looked uncertain, "You two don't have anything to defend yourself with."

"Good god, man, we're not going to confront them!" Seth told him, "believe me, if there's any trouble, your name will be the first name I call out!"

"No need to worry, Logan," Mort assured him, "I'll go with them and keep 'em safe."

So it was agreed.

#

Jessica, Seth and Mort entered the front door and into the lobby. The place was spacious, with marble tiles and crystal chandeliers. Off to one side, next to the concierge desk were a trio of freestanding signs, listing the afternoon events:

Pointing left: AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, Ballroom A.

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL REUNION had a sign pointing upstairs.

And finally: HUNTINGTON-CALDWELL WEDDING was located upstairs in Ballroom B.

Seth, Jessica and Mort stood staring at the signs.

"Where in the Sam Hill do you think those boys are?" Seth wondered.

"I vote for the high school reunion," Mort figured, "Maybe back in their high school days, those two boys were rejected loners and now plan to seek revenge by converging on the high school reunion."

"Better still, I go for the lawyer convention. Maybe they plan to take their revenge on the law," Seth figured, pointing at the Bar Association sign, "shooting up lawyers would meet that criteria."

"I think the most likely destination is the wedding reception," Jessica quietly stated.

Seth looked confused, "Why'd you think that, Jess?"

"Didn't Andy tell us that the boys' parents were going to the wedding of their niece?"

"And you think they plan to shoot up their own family?" Mort questioned, "that's pretty...morbid."

"Whatever they plan to do, I have a feeling it's something personal," Jessica reasoned, "and you can't get more personal than family."

"You have a point there," Mort said, "You two stay here. I'll radio Andy to join me up to the wedding reception."

"I think it's best you leave Andy where he is," Jessica said, "the Reynolds boys will most likely make a run for it or we may have to clear everyone out of the hotel quickly. Just keep your walkie-talkie ready. We can't let them escape."

"You don't plan to go up with me, do you?" Mort asked.

"The Reynolds know me, and they may feel more comfortable with the questioning of the boys if there is a civilian around."

"And where Jess goes, this civilian will follow!" Seth insisted.

Mort sighed. He hated when Jessica made sense. Well, not really. He just hoped she can stay out of trouble. At least Seth will see to that.

"Let's go," he told Seth and Jessica.

#

They walked upstairs to where the wedding reception would be held. From behind the door, they heard the loud bass of music playing. They opened the door and there were a hundred guests or so dawdling over drinks or refreshments, while others were on the dance floor with the bride and groom, slowdancing while an exhausted photograper was balancing on one knee, doing his job.

Meanwhile the voice of Frank Sinatra blaring through the speakers, could be heard throughout the hall. But no sign of the boys.

After some time watching, Seth prodded Jessica with, "Come on, Jess, let's dance."

Her eyes became round, "Dance?"

"Yes, that's the art of movin' your body to music, and hopefully not lookin' like a frog in a blender in the process," Seth stated sardonically.

"Actually, that's a great idea," Mort agreed, "we need to blend in. While you two dance, I'll try and find out where the Reynolds' boys are."

"But-" Jessica protested, but Mort had already walked away and began to question the guests.

"It's really for the best, Jess," Seth tried to convince her, "not only do we get to investigate a murder together, but we get to go undercover as well!"

He offered his hand and she could only accept it as led her out to the floor.

The band had switched to the song, "Just the Way You Look Tonight."

 _Some day, when I'm awfully low_ _  
_ _When the world is cold_ _  
_ _I will feel a glow just thinking of you_ _  
_ _And the way you look tonight..._

They had never danced before as a true couple, as they faced one another. Seth cautiously stepped slightly closer to Jessica than he ever had before.

 _You're lovely, with your smile so warm_ _  
_ _And your cheeks so soft..._

"Although we've danced before, I feel nervous this time," Jessica admitted in a soft whisper.

"Do you have that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach?" Seth inquired.

"Yes."

"Ignore it. It's just nosy curiosity leavin' your body," he stated, never taking his eyes off her., "Just concentrate on dancin' with me and let Mort and the boys handle the rest!"

She laughed.

"Good idea, Seth!" she stated wholeheartedly and began to relax as her body nestled closer to his.

 _There is nothing for me but to love you_ _  
_ _And the way you look tonight..._

And for a moment they forgot about the danger as they magically danced, their bodies in sync to the beat of the music.

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	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

On the outskirts of the dance floor, Mort caught of glimpse of Seth and Jessica dancing. _They have come such a long way in finding their love for one another,_ he thought to himself, _and they truly bring out the best in each other._

Meanwhile on the dance floor, Seth's heart raced wildly as he possessively held her. To him, Jessica's waist sweetly curved beneath his fingertips, bringing a peculiar tightness to his chest. The scent and feel of her was so familiar yet intimate.

"Seth," Jessica broke into his thoughts, "I never knew you were such a fine dancer."

"Only if I have the right partner, Jess," he responded as he whirled her around, "and dancing with you is like experiencing perfect harmony!"

Jessica loved the feel of being in Seth's arms. It was wonderful feeling love and protected; she had forgotten how much she missed that. She could hardly draw a breath around the billowing excitement she felt as they danced their first dance as a couple.

And tonight she floated in her partner's arms, all the way to the last line of the song.

 _Just the way you look... to-night..._

The song may have ended, but not their feelings for one another. The people on the dance floor dispersed as Seth and Jessica joined Mort, who had just finished questioning some of the guests.

"You two looked great out there," grinned Mort.

"Thank you, Mort," Jessica blushed, "And did you find out anything?"

"I did. I found out where Greg and Garrett are in the building."

Seth's voice abruptly sounded urgent, "Then we better leave quick-like 'cuz lookee over there.. _the boys' mother is fast approaching us!."_

Sure enough, Laurie Reynolds was striding towards them, an angry look plastered on her face. And who could blame her? They had actually crashed her niece's wedding.

"You're right, let's get outta out," Mort stated quickly.

 _#_

They were out in the hallway.

"This way," Mort instructed them as he gestured to the double doors across the hall, "a couple of the guests mentioned that they saw the boys heading towards the room that held all the wedding gifts."

They approached the door of that room. Mort tried the door knob. It was unlocked.

Seth's voice automatically dropped to a whisper, " _If this is the room with all the presents,_ _wouldn't it be locked?_ "

Jessica pointedly responded, " _Normally, yes_ , _but take a look at the lock..t_ _here are scratch marks all around it..."_

 _"I see that,"_ Mort observed, " _Amateurish job."_

Mort radioed Andy and Logan to inform them of their location. Next, he opened the door slightly. Some muffled sounds could be heard coming from inside.

 _"Stay behind me!"_ Mort warned Seth and Jessica, who stood behind him. He opened the door further and the three of them stealthily walked in.

#

What they witnessed when they entered the room was a sorry sight. Torn presents were spewed everywhere as Greg and Garrett were gleefully stuffing expensive gifts into their duffel bags. As soon as the boys spotted Mort with his gun drawn along with Jessica and Seth, they froze.

"The party's over, boys," Mort told them, "so why don't you drop what's in your hands."

Greg and Garrett stopped and exchanged unreadable glances.

"Don't try anything fancy," Mort ordered, "or the presents won't be the only thing shredded to pieces. Just put your hands up behind your heads."

Dropping the gifts and bags, Greg and Garrett did as they were told, not saying a word, but just glaring at the new arrivals. It was then that Greg noticed Seth.

"Hey! I know you!" he stated accusingly, "you're that nosy old man who testified against us in court!"

"And I will continue to be as long as people are doing the wrong thing!" Seth claimed.

Jessica looked about at all the gifts the boys had planned to steal.

 _That's it? Was all this planning just for a few gifts?_ Jessica thought to herself. _Sure, the money value would be quite a bit, and the boys knew their parents would never report them, but it just seemed so...not worth the effort for all that planning they had done._

As Mort went to towards the boys, handcuffs in hand, he was suddenly interrupted by the shouting of an angry female's voice.

"GET AWAY FROM MY BOYS!"

Laurie Reynolds defiantly stood at the doorway. She brusquely proceeded forward, stepping over the torn-opened boxes and strewn gift wrappings.

Jessica stepped up.

"Mrs. Reynolds, please stay where you are and let the sheriff do his job," Jessica warned her.

"Nonsense! These are my boys and you need to stop persecuting them!" she brushed past Jessica, "I don't understand this vendetta you have on them! Is it because they come from a respected, well to do family?"

"Let the law take it's course, " Seth blocked her path, "The boys deserve what's coming to them."

In her anger, she actually shoved him.

"Nonsense! And after I take my boys home, all of you will be hearing from my team of lawyers!"

She was within an arm's length now. Jessica noticed Garrett was eyeing something on the floor, but in the confusion of the gift boxes, wrapping papers and drama, she couldn't see what it was. Suddenly they heard some noise behind them. It was Andy and Logan arriving, getting their guns ready. Unfortunately it was another bit of distraction.

Too late, Seth shouted, "Mort, look out for Garrett!"

Mort swung his arm and gun around, but it was too late.

It happened so fast. Greg had grabbed his mother by the arm and pulled her straight into him. At the same time, Garrett reached down and grabbed something and quickly handed it his brother. In one swift movement, Greg now had his forearm around his mother and with the other hand he pointed a pair of scissors directly at his mother's neck.

It was now a hostage situation.

"Listen, boys," Mort said, his voice intentionally calm while Andy and Logan still with their guns trained on the brothers, "Put the knife down. Slowly. You're only making the situation worse."

"You don't know nothin!" Greg claimed as he pulled his arm tighter around his mother.

"Greg!" his mother cried out, "You're... choking me!"

"Shut up, Mom!" Garrett ordered her, "You deserve this for threatening o cut off our allowance!"

"Yeah!" Greg also yelled at his mother, "but now thanks to Uncle Bob's wedding, we've got enough loot here to take us to Mexico!"

Angrily Greg now turned to Mort, Logan and Andy, "Now, put the guns down, or I swear, I'll kill her!"

"Greg!" his mother finally looked scared, "How could you even THINK of doing that to me!"

"He will if you don't shut your trap, Mom!" Garrett told her, "And if he doesn't, I will!"

Laurie Reynolds had the good sense to remain still and stoically silent.

Mort warned them, "Listen, boys, if you hurt your own mother, you'll be back inside the slammer again, and this time for life. You really want that?"

But Greg would not listen to reason.

"I SAID...put down your weapons," he made a jerk and the knife slightly pierced Laurie's skin as she gasped in fear, "I'm serious!"

Mort slowly lowered his gun, "Okay. Okay. We get it. No need for violence," he turned to Logan and Andy, "everyone calmly put down your weapons."

Andy and Logan had no choice and placed their guns on the floor, too.

"Kick them over here!" Greg insisted.

When it was done, Garrett quickly grabbed them up.

"Greg, we know you're serious," Mort acknowledged, knowing a law official should never provoke a hostage taker, "but believe me, what you're doing now is just getting yourself into more trouble."

"We'll see about that!" Greg said as he began dragging his mother towards the emergency door exit, "Garrett! Grab the bags!"

Garrett managed to grab the duffel bags and put the guns in one of them. He backed up against the push door and both boys went through the door opening.

Jessica didn't know what to do. She could see that the mother was not putting up a fight. Of course she wouldn't. And if she were freed from this situation, she would never press charges against her precious boys. So since Mrs. Reynolds wouldn't press charges, the only thing they could seriously charge the boys with would be felony theft of stolen wedding gifts and officers' weapons.

It seemed as though Greg and Garrett were going to get away with their crime.

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	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The Reynolds boys were outside now. Greg had his mother in his grasp, a pair of scissors at her throat. His brother, Garrett, was close behind him, holding onto the duffel bags with the stolen presents. Mort, Logan, Seth and Jessica were following right behind them.

They were now outside in the parking lot.

"Get the car!" Greg ordered, still holding his own mother hostage.

Garrett was going to, when he suddenly stopped, almost in mid-movement.

Greg glanced his brother's way, " _Whattt!?_ What's wrong?" he demanded impatiently.

"Uh..." Garrett shifted uncomfortably, "...the car keys. I left them inside...with the backpack."

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Greg yelled out with frustrated anger. Then he had an idea and turned to Seth, "Hey, you! Old man!...Gimme your car keys!"

"I will not!" Seth stubbornly stated.

As if to make his point, Greg poked the scissors into his mother's throat again and she let out a frightened little cry of pain.

"I MEAN BUSINESS, GRANDPA!"

 _"Seth,"_ Jessica murmured under her breath, " _do as they say!"_

"Alright, alright!" Seth relented.

Reluctantly he reached into his pocket and tossed the keys over to Garrett's waiting hand.

"Which car is yours?" Garrett asked.

Seth sighed, "the station wagon."

"Figures it would be the old clunker," Garrett said disdainfully.

"Never mind that! Just go warm up the car for me!" Greg ordered his brother as he let the scissors slack a few inches off his mother's throat.

"Gotcha, Bro!" Garrett said, with a smirk on his face.

He seemed confidently smug now as he dangled Seth's key in front of everyone. Then he strode over to Seth's car. Next he threw the duffel bags in the back and opened the driver's door.

"Listen Greg, you've got what you wanted," Mort said, "the money, the gifts, transportation, even our weapons. There's no need to involve your mother any further."

"The sheriff's right, " Jessica attempted to step closer to Greg and his mother, but Seth held her back, "Why don't you just let your mother go and you and your brother can just drive away!"

"And give up our ticket to freedom?" Greg rhetorically asked, as he began dragging her away, "No way! Besides, my mom WANTS to be with her boys, right mom?"

"Gregory, please!" Laurie Reynolds choked out her answer, tears flowing down her cheek, "Stop this! Don't do this to your own mother!"

Meanwhile from the driver's seat of Seth vehicle, Garrett had just started the engine of the car when suddenly-

KA-BOOM!

The sky lid up and everyone was thrown unexpectedly to the ground as the station wagon erupted into a red fireball.

" _Noooooooooooo!_ " From down on the ground, Laurie Reynold's let out a cry of anguish as she reached out a hopeless arm in the direction of the destruction, "Garrett! Oh My Baby! Garrettttt..."

The end of her agonized sobs blended into the heated, crackling air as Seth's car became engulfed in searing flames.

#

Considering this was a car bomb, everyone came out fairly lucky.

Everyone, that is, except Garrett, who had been in the driver's seat of the station wagon.

While the car continued to burn, Andy had gone off to call emergency services while Mort and Logan handcuffed an injured Garrett. Surprisingly, despite her ordeal, Laurie Reynolds actually fought with the law officials over them arresting her older son. She was clawing and crying out in shock and frustration, knowing that one son was dead and the other one was being hauled off to jail. It was Seth and Jessica who held her back, which was a difficult ordeal.

.

Everyone had been examined at the Bar Harbor emergency ward. Mort, Andy and Logan were left practically unscathed. Greg and his mother had been closest to the car when it blew up. They suffered a few lacerations and Greg had two broken ribs, while Laurie had a broken ankle, but nothing which required a long hospital stay.

Seth and Jessica had been the next two people near the exploding vehicle. Although they didn't have burns, both of them suffered hearing loss and a persistent ringing in the ears at times. The doctor claimed it would be temporary. They were only prescribed Xanax to help relieve the anxiety and ringing.

.

Later that night, Mort was the one who picked up Seth and Jessica from the hospital and drove them back to Jessica's. Jessica began brewing some tea while Seth and Mort sat at the quaint kitchen table.

"I consider us all lucky today," Mort was saying, as Jessica filled the mugs with tea and placed a plate of cookies on the table before sitting down, "the injuries could have been much worse."

"AYUH!" Seth was shouting but not realizing it.

Mort sighed, "Doc! You don't have to yell! I can hear you!"

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Seth yelled back.

Jessica answered back, "THE SHERIFF SAID YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!"

Mort cuffed his hands against his both ears, as of shutting off the noise, "Mrs. F...you're yelling too!"

Jessica looked embarrassed, "Sorry. It's just I can't hear myself talking with all this incessant ringing in my ears!"

"WHAT?" Seth wanted to know.

Mort shook his head back and forth, "It's like I'm getting a sneak peak of the two of you, thirty years from now!"

"WHAT?" Seth and Jessica shouted as Mort shook his head.

"THE CASE IS OVER!" Mort improvised.

Surprisingly, Jessica began shaking her head vigorously. While Mort and Seth had puzzled looks on their faces, she rushed to get a pad and pencil. Returning she began vigorously writing. Then she showed the pad to them:

 _Boys weren't murderers...if they planted bomb in Seth's car, they would know NOT to use it as getaway vehicle_!

"So it isn't over," Mort groaned.

He looked Seth's way, but Seth was silent.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, DOC?" Mort shouted, "YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T THE BOYS WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU, RIGHT? WHY THE SILENCE?

Seth grabbed the pad and was writing furiously. When he finished, he turned the pad over so that they could both read it:

 _HEARING NOT GOOD MEANING NO DATE WITH JESS AGAIN!_

#

The next day, the ringing in their ears had subsided somewhat.

Mort was at Jessica's place early the next morning for breakfast. They sat at the same kitchen table, trying to figure out who was trying to kill Seth.

Then they heard a knock on the back door and it opened. It was Seth.

Jessica immediately smiled, "Seth! Come in!"

"HOW ARE YOU?" Seth asked as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I'm much better," Jessica said only slightly louder than usual, for now she was able to hear herself talking, "just a bit of ringing every now and then."

But it wasn't the same for Seth just yet.

"DID YOU HEAR ME?" Seth asked, "NOD IF YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

"I can hear you, Seth!" Jessica informed him.

"WHAT?" he asked, "YOU'RE NOT NODDING!"

"Oh boy," Mort commented, his mouth in a straight line, "I'm guessing it's takes some people a little longer to recover than others!."

Jessica smiled as she leaned into Mort, "Maybe his hearing will get better when I make him some...(she whispers) _pancakes_!"

"PANCAKES?" Seth suddenly looked alert.

"Humph!" Mort grunted, "NOW his hearing is like a supersonic radar!"

#

"So Mort," Jessica asked, once she got Seth settled down for breakfast, "Any new leads about who could have planted the bomb? Or any information on the bomb itself? The size and the placement? The triggering mechanism?"

"That's a mouthful of questions, Mrs. F., " Mort responded, "I don't have much. The device had been magnetically attached underneath the chassis, not far from the gas tank. It had been equipped with a tilt fuse which means-"

"-I know what that means," Jessica said, "it's was activated by the vibration of the car starting up, but it's really the luck of the draw. It could have been detonated by the slam of a door, or if the car went over a bump. Not a very sophisticated device."

"That's right," Mort acknowledged, "it's pretty primitive, in fact. And the problems is, you have to be careful not to set the fuse before the bomb's in place."

"So what does that mean?" Jessica asked.

Mort heaved a sigh, "it means that the bomb had to have been set just before we got out into the parking lot."

At last, Seth put down his eating utensils, a look of frustration on his face.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO CONSPIRIN' ABOUT? STOP WHISPERIN'!" he insisted.

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	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Not only had Seth's car been destroyed in a car bomb, but it was also proven that the Reynolds' boys were not responsible for the murder of Bert Bradlely and the attempted murder of Seth.

It took another day for Seth's hearing to slightly return. Yet his mood didn't change as he and Jessica sat in the coffee shop for lunch.

"Dang hearing!" he complained as he rubbed his ear vigorously, "it's ruined the opportunity for our romantic first date this weekend!"

"Oh, Seth, do we really need to set a specific time and place for it to be considered a date?" Jessica questioned.

"Ayuh, it makes all the difference in the world!" Seth said, "otherwise, how else will all the gossipers be able to keep track of us as a couple on their calendars?"

Jessica laughed, "Seth, I've been telling you along I don't need an official date with you! Just spending time together with you is enough! And after all that you've been through, what with the poison, and then the shooting, and now a bomb, you've lived a lifetime these last two weeks!"

The ridiculousness of everything that had occurred to him recently made him crack a small smile.

"You're right, Jess. Poison? Bullets? A bomb? You don't have that much action, even in your books!"

Jessica laughed and placed her hand over his, "No, indeed," she said, "if I wrote about all these misfortunes happening to one person in one of my books, my publisher would mail it back and tell me to do a reality rewrite!"

The way he was smiling at her caused her heart to beat faster.

"Do you realize, Woman," he stated, "that all I want to do now is grab your lovely face and kiss it until there's no tomorrow?"

Jessica looked down, as a blush rose to her cheeks. Finally she looked up at him, sending a delicious thrill throughout his backside.

"You can borrow a kiss from me later, in private," she said quietly, "and I promise I'll give it right back to you!"

Seth couldn't have looked happier.

"Jess, oh, Jess," he stated, his voice cracking a bit at the end, "how I yearn for you!"

As they continued smiling at each other, they heard a male's high pitched voice behind them.

"Well, well," stated Sam Booth, as he walked up and took a seat next to them without being invited, "if it isn't Cabot Cove's favorite couple!"

Seth grunted as Jessica put on her diplomatic face.

"Sorry. My hearings gone, can barely hear a thing!" Seth folded his arms, looking miserable.

"Good afternoon, Sam!"she greeted him, purposely not inviting him to join them.

 _"Is there no such thing as a table for three anymore?_ " Sam complained, as he borrowed a chair from the next table. He next signaled the waitress, " Millie! Ohhhh, Millie! Some coffee over here!" and just before she walked away to get it, he added, "and maybe a tiny taste of your freshest baked goods, too!" he smiled at her before she disappeared.

"Well, now that I've settled a bit," Sam stated as he first looked at Seth, then Jessica, "care to update me as to your dating status?"

" _What_ , no talk of the number of squirrels circling the trees to discuss first?" Seth sarcastically asked.

"Not today!" Sam took the question seriously, "today, I'm all ears to hear about your first date together!"

"It does seem gossip travels quickly around here," Jessica noted.

" _Now_ , Jessica," the mayor corrected her, "you know I'd be the FIRST person to tell another person not to gossip."

"Then maybe you should look in a mirror!" Seth suggested.

Sam looked indignant, "I assure you, Seth, that as a public official of high standing, I did not come here to gossip! However, I HAVE been known to share opinions of other people's lifestyles before...so what's yours?"

The waitress had returned with a mug of steaming coffee and a fresh cinnamon roll.

"Actually, Sam, we've been busy working on this case regarding the murder of Seth's dear friend," Jessica informed him.

"Yes, I heard about that," Sam nodded, as he took another bite of the cinnamon roll and momentarily closed his eyes in total bliss. When he opened them again, he stated, "as you were saying..." he lost his train of thought.

"...about the murder?" Jessica helped to complete the Mayor's thought.

"Yes, indeed!" the mayor responded as he took another heavenly bite of his food.

"Let's just say, we don't have a motive or a killer just yet!" Seth stated.

"If you ask me, I say let the authorities handle it!" Sam suggested, after he swallowed the sugary confection, "I know Bert may have been your friend, but you and Jessica here have _other_ things to consider besides a murder, wouldn't you say?"

"Actually, neither one of us can move forward until this case is solved," Jessica explained, "we believe Bert's murder may have to do with a case that he and Seth had worked on a few years back."

"You don't say?" the mayor absent-mindedly stated as he took a sip of his coffee, "Welll, knowing you two, I'm sure you'll have that matter solved in no time!"

"Actually, we've hit a roadblock," Seth told him, "we don't think any of the people on those cases are guilty of murderin' Bert."

"And also of attempted murder on you, Seth," Jessica worriedly reminded him, "not once, but three times."

"Three times? Oh myyy Doc! Someone _really_ wants you dead!" the mayor callously stated, "and since it's not the people you suspect, then maybe it's the people you don't!"

"Do you _hear_ what you are sayin'?" Seth looked totally confused by Sam's wording.

"You know, Seth..." Jess began as her thoughts came slowly to her, "Sam may actually have a point. Maybe the attempted and actual murder had nothing to do with an old case at all! Maybe the killer was after you and Bert for a different reason!"

Sam looked surprised, "I said all that?"

"Didn't you?" blinked Jessica innocently.

"Whyyyy, I suppose I DID..." Sam looking proud, as he sat up straighter.

"What are you sayin', Jess?" Seth asked, "what 'others' could you be talkin' about?"

"Just think about it, Seth," she stated, "you've had another connection to Bert besides just working police cases together. You two go way back...even before you were a doctor!"

Seth looked hesitant, "You mean... the _fraternity_?"

"Exactly!" Jessica nodded.

"You were in a fraternity, Doc Hazlitt?" Sam wondered, "They had one of those back then?"

"Even _dinosaurs_ liked to join clubss!" Seth snapped, giving him an aggravated look, "besides, I'm not as old as I _look..._ " he claimed, "I'll have you know, Mayor Booth, that old age is always 15 years older than I am!"

Jessica hid her smile.

But Sam was distracted. He paused mid-gulp and stared at the drink before gesturing to the waitress in a distressed tone.

"Millie, oh, _Millie_!"

She came over, putting her hands on her hips, "What is it now, Mayor?"

"This coffee here is rather weak," he complained, pointing to it with a distasteful expression, "it's as if this coffee is using its powers for evil, not good today! Do you think I might get a different cup instead?"

Millie sighed, "I suppose I can get you a new one."

"Goood, and this time, make the coffee stronger," Sam insisted, "after all, I DO have a town to run."

"Alright, sure, Mayor," Millie couldn't get away fast enough, "and I'll be sure to put in extra grounds when I brew a new pot. It'll be so strong that you'll think it's beer!"

" _That's_ my girl!" Sam smiled, looking pleased.

While Millie left to fill the Mayor's request, Seth looked over and noticed a very quiet Jessica. She had a strange look in her eyes.

"Jess, is everythin' alright?" he asked.

She turned slowly towards him.

" _Beer,_ " she stated reverently, repeating what the Mayor had ordered, "that's it! Beer!"

Sam's face looked confused, "Beer?" he turned to Seth, "What is she talking about?"

"Uh-oh," Seth stated, "she has that look on her face again!"

"What look?" the Mayor asked.

Jessica's eyes were bright with intelligence, "Seth, I think I know who killed Bert Bradley and attempted to kill you, too! And I also know the reason _why_!"

.

.

 _Please review_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Thanks to Mayor Booth's mention of beer, Jessica had a light bulb moment and announced that she thinks she knows who killed Bert and why. After paying the coffee shop bill, Seth and Jessica had stopped by then library and then went immediately to Mort's office.

They had stopped by the Sheriff's office just in time. He was busy typing a report regarding Finn McMasters, who reported five pounds of bacon had been stolen from his home.

He glad put aside his report as Jessica informed him of her theory.

Mort still looked confused, "So, Mrs. F, what you're saying is that you think the murderer killed just for whiskey?"

"Oh, not for just any whiskey, Sheriff," Jessica told him, "but a very _rare_ bottle of whiskey. Recently Seth and I had visited the ailing Judge Lachlin, Logan's father. He had told us a story about Seth, himself and three other best buddies in the college fraternity. His father had left him an old bottle of whiskey and informed them that they were not to drink from this one bottle of whiskey until the frat boys had all passed away except for the last man, who would take one sip each in honor of his fallen fraternity brothers."

"So you're saying it wasn't _any_ whiskey, but this _particular_ bottle of whiskey that was worth killing for," Mort commented.

"Exactly," Jessica concurred.

"If I recalled correctly," Seth said, "This particular bottle of Judge Lachlin's was a Morganach Reserve, 1942. Of course, boys bein' boys back them, we just thought it was an old bottle of whiskey, not realizin' it's true worth."

"So we did some research in the library before we came here," Jessica explained, "and rare stocks from 1868, 1878, 1926 and 1939 were combined to make this bottle, of which only three exists in the entire world."

"So what would a rare bottle of this particular whiskey costs these days?" Mort asked.

"Accordin' to our researhin'," Seth told him, "roughly one point eight million dollars!"

Mort gave a low whistle, "I could see why that's worth killing for! And if all of the original frat boys were dead-"

"-the son of Lachlin McIntosh would inherit the bottle!" Jessica finished.

"So you're saying Logan is the killer?" Mort didn't look convince, "but we were with him when he was ambushed and shot in front of my office!"

"He had an accomplice," Jessica reasoned.

"Accomplice? Who?" Mort asked.

"Beth Bradley," Jessica said, her voice filled with sadness.

"Beth?" Mort looked unsure, "You think she would be cold-hearted enough to kill her own father?"

Jessica sighed, "Unfortunately, anyone can kill, given the right motive and opportunity."

"You know, I did have Andy check up on Logan and Beth," Mort said, "I never told you the results of the surveillance, because it was nothing. There wasn't anything romantic between them."

"Don't you get it?" Seth asked, "it wasn't a matter of the _heart_ that made them kill; it was a matter of _money_!"

"And they had been long time friends," Jessica reminded Mort.

Mort shook his head, "I just can't believe they were in cahoots to do old Bert in!"

"It all fits," Jessica explained, "by the time they realized the value of that whiskey bottle, the only frat brothers left were the Judge, Bert and Seth. Remember, the last one left standing would be the one to own the bottle. The Judge was already dying, so they just needed to get rid of Bert and Seth. Then Logan would inherit the bottle and he probably had promised to split the profits with Beth."

Mort looked flabbergasted, "Well, I'll be..."

"And remember, Mort, we both know Beth," Seth reminded him, "she is a paralegal for a criminal law firm. It would be easy enough for her to get in contact with one of their former clients to learn how to make or get a homemade bomb. And it also could explained why Logan stalled so much during the investigation."

"And being a homicide detective, Logan would have knowledge of poisons," Mort added.

Seth shook his head sadly, "Poor Bert. Bein' done in by his own daughter. And Logan. We weren't friends, but...to poison me? Can't believe the two of them would conspire together to do something so vicious and brutal!"

"I've seen people do worse in the name of money," Mort said grimly, then added, "Come on, I think it's time we pay Logan a visit."

#

When they called the office, they were informed that Logan was out in the field and could not be contacted, so they decided to pay Judge McIntosh a visit and ask about the rare bottle of whiskey.

When they got to the McIntosh residence, they rang the doorbell, but no one answered. They tried again with the same results.

"That's strange," Jessica commented, "there should always be someone home in order to care for the Judge."

Mort looked alarmed.

"We're breaking in," Mort announced. He next warned them, "Stand back!"

Then standing sideways with his dominant leg closest to the door, Mort lifted his leg and gave a forceful, good kick with the heel of his foot. The door gave in slightly and he gave another hard kick. Eventually the door's frame splintered.

"Remind me not to get you mad enough to kick me!" Seth commented as they entered the premises.

They looked about and the first person they saw was Logan. He was seated in the living room sofa, his head buried in his hands. He seemed to be sobbing.

"Logan!" Mort shouted, "Your Father! Is he alright?"

Logan slowly lifted his head from his hands, his eyes full of tears.

"It's too late!" he lamented, "You're too late!"

"Down the hall to the right!" Seth told Mort, as Mort, Jessica and also a limping Seth went down the hallway.

Mort burst opened the door to find Beth straddling the Judge. A plastic bag was over the Judge's head, cinched at the throat.

"BETH, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" screamed Mort, as grabbed her off the bed.

Jessica and Seth rushed towards the bed.

The Judge looked ghastly white and wasn't moving. However, Seth noticed a tiny puff of air vibrating between the plastic and his opened mouth.

"He's alive, thank God!" Seth stated as he gently removed the bag while Jessica called 911.

Meanwhile, Mort had handcuffed Beth and read her rights.

#

Logan and Beth's interrogation statements were similar on all the major points.

 _It was Beth who was flipping through a Sotheby's catalog last month when she saw an identical bottle of whiskey which sold for one point eight million dollars. Both she and Logan had known the story of the Frat brothers who were gifted this rare item from Lachlin senior._

 _At first, Logan and her had planned to steal it, but the bottle was being held in a safe deposit box at the bank. All Beth could do was hope her father would outlive the the Judge and Seth. When it didn't seem forthcoming, she contacted Logan and they had come up with the idea of poisoning Bert to make it seem like a natural death. They would do the same for Seth and then wait for the Judge's impending death._

 _Obviously it didn't work out that way._

 _That's when Beth suggested that they write Seth that note, hoping it would derail the investigation by pointing to other possible suspects, which almost worked. Later, it was Logan who proposed the ambush while Beth was the one who shot Seth and Logan._

 _And when that didn't work, it was Beth who got a hold of the bomb while Logan planted it in Seth's car, causing the death of another individual._

 _So Beth and Logan became desperate and came up with this latest plan of where, after removing the plastic bag was removed from the Judge, it would look like he had died in his sleep._

The evil plan almost worked.

#

 _It took three more weeks before Seth's leg healed. By then, Judge Lachlin McIntosh had died peacefully of natural causes in his sleep. It was a lovely funeral, but unfortunately his son and Beth Bradley were not present, being that they were given life sentences for their crimes._

#

As they sat at the small table in Jessica's warm kitchen, Seth felt a happiness he had never known. Not only would he never take his health for granted again, but he was with the woman he loved.

"At least I'm glad I got that dang leg wrap off!" Seth noted.

Jessica smiled, "Oh I don't know, Seth, I thought your wrapped leg made you look _very_ manly."

"You don't say?" he slightly preened, "I thought it made me look like an injured T-rex draggin' his right leg through peanut butter!"

She laughed, thanking her lucky star for bringing Seth into her life.

"Never a T-rex, Seth! That would mean your arms would be awfully short," she teasingly pointed out, as he smiled.

"...but not too short to touch you," he stated, lovingly touched her cheek, "And you know what? Now that the case is wrapped up, it means we can finally go on that dang first date of ours!"

"Our first dang date," she playfully sighed, "sounds heavenly."

"Great!" his eyes burned with excited anticipation, "Just be ready by six tomorrow!"

She tilted her head, "Oh? And where are you taking me on this momentous first date, Seth?"

"My god, Woman, always with the questions!" Seth stated, "Just be ready at six!"

"But how shall I dress?" she asked.

"Just be ready at six!" he opaquely repeated again.

.

.

 _Last chapter coming up!_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

KNOCK! KNOCK!

The morning light hadn't even filtered through Jessica's bedroom window when she heard someone banging on her front door downstairs. Tiredly she opened her eyes and looked at the clock next to her nightstand.

6:10 AM.

Who would be knocking so early? she wondered.

Hoping it didn't mean trouble, Jessica threw back her covers. Grabbing her bathrobe at the end of her bed, she put it on and tied it to her waist.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

The incessant knocking was getting annoying.

"Coming! Coming!" Jessica shouted out as she ran down and stairs while the banging started up again. Opening the door, she gaped in surprise as she stared at Seth, standing there with a big smile, wearing his best fishing outfit.

"Seth!" she exclaimed, "What-"

"You're late, Woman!" he brusquely stated, as he made a show of his watch, "Do you realize it's 6:10?"

"That should be MY line!" Jessica responded back as he entered and she shut the door behind him. Then it suddenly dawned on her what was happening, "Oh myyyy! Yesterday, when you told me to be ready at 6, you meant-"

"-six in the mornin', of course!" he finished the sentence for her, "You think I'm gonna wait for night to slowly edge it's way in before I see you for our official first date?"

She should be angry, but somehow his impatience was very sweet.

"Oh dear, " Jessica unconsciously fluffing her hair, "I must look an utter mess..."

"Nonsense!" Seth stated, admiring her just-got-out-of-bed rumpleness, "You could never look bad and besides, I never did care for a gal who is always made up!"

Again, he had a way of making her blush, despite his roughness.

"Well, even so, I need to go back upstairs to tidy myself up," she informed him as she began climbing the stairs, "so you're going to have to fix your own coffee!"

She was almost to the top of the stairs when she heard Seth's response from below.

"Ayuh, Don't you worry about that, Missy! I can handily attend to myself" he yelled back to her, "Especially when there's some blueberry muffins next to the coffeepot!"

He didn't see it because he was busy helping himself to the muffins, but Jessica had blown a kiss down Seth's way.

#

It was still early daylight by the time Jessica dressed and packed what they needed for their first date trip. The air was cool and damp as Seth drove through the town. They were headed to the rental boat for some bass fishing.

Seth had parked the car and both knew they needed to walk a bit to get to the boat.

"Oh, Seth, what a marvelous first date!" Jessica announced as she took a whiff of the ocean waters while carrying her fishing gear, "fresh air, a lovely setting and excellent companionship with the person I love! Who could ask for more?"

"I agree wholeheartedly!" Seth smiled, taking in the natural surroundings of nature, "and anyone who says I'm impatient has never seen me fish!"

Jessica added, "and if they've seen you fish, they've seen you exaggerate!"

Seth chuckled, "Well, you know the old sayin; Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy with lies!"

Jessica laughed and when she turned his way, a sense of contentment filled her soul. He was looking back at her with desire in his eyes.

Simultaneously they stopped walking and faced one another.

"Jess," his voice sounded raspy, "I think I've waited a lifetime for this day. At last we get to be alone."

Jessica swallowed hard as she felt the familiar flutterings.

"Alone or in a crowd, Seth, I love you."

Seth drew in a quick breath as he leaned down and his mouth closed around hers. The kiss affected them both like a lightning strike. It was an agonizing blend of emotional desire and love. When they separated, Seth tenderly touched her cheek, brushing against some sensitive nerves.

"I could not love you anymore, Jess."

Smiling down, they joined their hands and continued their walk.

As they rounded a bush, they thought they heard some murmurings or whisperings. Coming to a clearing they were suddenly greeted by a dozen of their Cabot Cove friends, two of them holding up a "Bon Voyage with Love" banner.

"SURPRISE!" the crowd shouted.

Seth's eyes widened, "What is the Sam Hill is _this?"_

Mort was the one who stepped out of the crowd.

"Now, Doc, don't get mad at us," he warned Seth, "believe me, this wasn't my idea!"

"It was mine," Eve admitted, now joining Mort, "You REALLY didn't expect to leave on your first date without saying goodbye to your dear friends, now, did you?"

"Oh yes!" Phyllis agreed, "This is as momentous occasion for all of us as for you two!"

Everyone was nodding their heads in agreement.

"But...I never told anyone..." the Doc claimed.

"I was the one who figured out your love spot," Beverly, his office assistant, shyly admitted.

"Love spot?!" Seth looked incredulous.

"Yes, indeed!" Beverly looked so proud, "I figured it out when you had me pencil in no appointments for the next three days. So that, along with, well, my conversation with Caleb down at the docks..."

"...who bumped into Joe Shelby at the tackle shop," Eve chimed in, "whose wife Betsey had her hair done yesterday..."

"...by me, of course," Loretta added, "to which I told most of the other ladies, and so here we are!"

"See, Doc, how it's not my fault?" Mort wanted to make clear, his hands behind his back, as he rolled on his heels.

"Wellllll, then," Mayor Booth stated, "before you two lovebirds set off on your first date," he held out some champagne, "I think you need to join us for some bubbly, courtesy of the sheriff, here!"

"The sheriff, eh?" Seth looked accusingly back at Mort.

He smiled sheepishly, "Okay, maybe it was a _little_ bit my fault," Mort sheepishly admitted as he brought out some plastic drink cups from behind his back.

Seth was still looking a bit shell-shocked with the intrusion.

"Why the tarnation-"

Jessica leaned in and said in a low voice, _"Oh Seth! Maybe they could join us for one drink, don't you think? We'll have the rest of the day together!"_

Once again Jessica was _too_ accommodating. But Seth would do anything to please her.

He let out a long sigh, "I suppose, Jess. Although by the time we sail off, the fish will be enjoyin' their _dinner_!"

Jessica then addressed the crowd.

"I think," she announced, as everyone listened attentively, "that we would love to celebrate our first date with all our dear friends! Why don't you join us on board for a quick bon voyage drink?"

Everyone cheered.

#

Their friends had boarded and stood at the stern area of the boat . Surprisingly, Seth told them not to pop open the champagne. He then disappeared into the cabin of the boat. When he appeared again, he had a familiar bottle in his hands.

"Mort, pass out the glasses," Seth declared, as he displayed a familiar bottle, "I would like our friends to toast this with us!"

Mort looked shocked, as well as Jessica.

In Seth's hand was the Judge's priceless whiskey, the one that he had inherited.

"Doc, you're actually going to drink that expensive bottle of whisky?" Mort asked, "Isn't it worth about a million and half dollars?"

Eve swooned, "A million and a half dollars? I'd have to sell quite a bit of property to get to that amount!"

"And I'd have to book a lot of travel tours," Phyllis added.

Loretta questioned, "How about all the hairstyles I'd have to work on?"

"Or you could donate it to the city, if you wanted to, Doc Hazlitt," Mayor Booth shrewdly suggested.

But Seth would not be deterred.

"I'm goin' pour each of you a dram of this fine drink," he stated with certainty, "then we'll give a toast to honor my good friends of long ago. When we are through celebratin', each of you will depart from here and pass this story along and it will be part of the Cabot Cove folklore forever!"

"Seth, that's brilliant!" Jessica agreed, while everyone clapped and cheered.

And when the drinks were poured, and Seth had honored each and every one of his fraternity brothers, the good folks of Cabot Cove departed from the boat, just as they had promised.

.

Once back on the shore the Cabot Cove friends waved their final goodbyes to Seth and Jessica. After untying the bowline, Jessica and Seth stood at the back of the boat waving.

"Goodbye!" Jessica waved to her friends, thinking there is no other place she'd rather live then Cabot Cove. And now with Seth by her side, she was guaranteed happiness for a lifetime.

"Goodbye you two!"

"Bye Jess! So long, Seth!"

"Have a good trip!"

"See ya!"

"Save some fish for me!"

Everyone had a different way of saying good bye.

"Hope you catch the biggest fish!" Mort yelled out.

Jessica waved most enthusiastically at her friend, "Thank you, Mort!"

"See you when you get back!" he shouted out, "And don't you worry..."

"Worry?" Jessica questioned, looking baffled, "Worry about what?"

But Seth had already untied the lines and then he had gone to the bow of the boat to start the engine. Mort cupped his hands to make sure Jessica heard.

"Don't you worry, Mrs. F," Mort stated happily, "We'll ALL be here when you get back!"

"You'll all be here?" Jessica looked confused, _"But why...?"_

 _VVVVRRRRRRRRRR..._

 _The sound of the boat's engine drowns out the rest of Jessica's words as everyone gives one more large, goodbye wave as the boat pulls out of the dock._

(Start of theme music:)*Doo doo doo doo-doo *

 _*Freeze frame of Jessica with a look of bafflement*_

 _*Doo*._

 _._

 _._

 _And that's it! Thank you everyone, I had so much fun writing these two stories! However, it is time to stop typing and writing. I will just have to get my MSW fix by being a reader! It was nice 'meeting' a few of you! There are so many wonderful people here. Goodbye and much love to everyone, POTM_


End file.
